The drought hits the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region hard.
An unprecedented water deficit for nearly 70 years! The six districts in the region have been placed on drought alert and are concerned with the prefectural ordinance limiting certain water uses.
“All departments, without exception, are at risk of severe drought. It is urgent, especially since the situation is not expected to improve in the coming weeks and months,” warns Max Bauer, PACA’s Head of Rural Coordination.
Serious consequences for production
The thermometer is rising and farmers are concerned about the growing water shortage.
The sporadic rains were not enough to recharge the groundwater table, which is in deficit by about 20%. The soil is excessively dry, which indicates severe consequences, particularly for plant production as well as a very high risk of fires in our massifs with consequences for edge production, fauna and biodiversity.” Max Power confirms.
Solutions to conserve water resources
Faced with this very dangerous situation, the government took a decision a few days ago to increase the spending cap on water agencies by 100 million euros, mainly to improve existing water tanks and create new ones.
“It has become urgent that water not be wasted, which is why we welcome this new casing, with the only condition that it is used in an appropriate manner, with a real political and administrative will to store the water. So we must make sure that we are pragmatic and responsive,” Adds PACA Head of Rural Coordination.
Invest in more efficient systems
In order to help farmers invest in the short-term in water-saving equipment, such as a more efficient irrigation system, the government also decided to double the amount of the assistance window for the purchase of water.agricultural equipment, to €40 million.
This help is absolutely ridiculous. It’s just spray. We must review all measures to allow farmers to obtain long-term support. More than just a simple investment in equipment, it is also essential to support farmers over time, towards the application of new farming techniques and practices that consume less energy. Max Power confirms.
Specific plan for livestock
Another announcement: Providing farmers with grassy areas from public facilities, state land, airports, railway networks or even military camps to provide fodder for livestock.
“The idea may seem interesting, but the feasibility, the cost and above all the quality of the lawn remain unclear so that this procedure is not just a decoration for the window” Max Bauer notes.
Finally, the government has just implemented a resilience plan with a series of measures, including an envelope of 489 million euros (between 1,000 euros and 35,000 euros per farm) targeting animal feed.
This is an aid aimed at farms that rely heavily on purchasing food. It aims to help breeders bear the high costs. It certainly has the advantage of being there, but the entire agricultural sector is suffering today. Therefore it is urgent to think of a more general plan, ” Claims Max Power.
Measures to protect farmers
After multiple hailstorms broke out last week, the PACA District Rural Coordination also called for further crop insurance reform, in order to better protect farmers.
“Indeed, today, the state is stepping back from its prerogatives by giving up insurance companies, which are no good. We must also be careful not to make farmers feel guilty, by forcing them to take out insurance to deal with the increasingly frequent and regular weather incidents, which They are not responsible.” Max Power notes.
Rural coordination also calls for the development of technical or saving tools to enable farmers to be better equipped to deal with the vagaries of the weather.
“In this way, we will be able to reduce the potential risks and losses to achieve this government’s goal: food sovereignty – which the Republic of Korea has defended for years,” PACA President concludes Rural Coordination.