The majority agricultural union alliance in France, the FNSEA-JA, expressed its satisfaction this weekend after the announcements made yesterday, Saturday, by the Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, for, according to her, “ simplify » the life of farmers.
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Farmers and trade unions have been mobilized for almost two weeksin particular against what they consider to be environmental or administrative obstacles to their work. The FNSEA-JA (Young Farmers) union alliance placed its first week of mobilization under the sign of opposition to the proposed free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay). This week which is coming to an end, she has aimed more particularly at what she describes as “ hindrances » to the work of farmers, while a new mobilization is planned from December 10 “ to denounce the low agricultural income », reports Agence France presse.
Visiting a dairy farm, the Minister of Agriculture Annie Genevard also pointed out the “ prohibitions, (…) procedures, (…) standards ”, emphasizing the “ fed up » of farmers: “ These are truly burdens that have accumulated to the point of weakening the competitiveness of farms”she added, before listing a series of measures.
Among these, a circular intended to accelerate the examination of new breeding projects. The minister also mentions the creation of a specific Council, chaired by her, to help the health security agency (ANSES) prioritize requests to place certain chemical products on the market when crops are in difficulty.
“ He is about simplifying »
“ I want to be the minister who will help them free themselves from constraints, while naturally respecting human health and the environment, that goes without saying. This is not about disruption. It’s about simplifying », declares Annie Genevard.
This Council will include farmers, research institutes and manufacturers of chemical inputs. Nothing very new, according to François Veillerette, of the environmentalist NGO Générations Futures. But be careful that this organ is not used to facilitate access to more pesticides.
“ Changing the order, perhaps, of examination of marketing application files at ANSES based on emergencies is not something that seems aberrant. Now, we will ensure that ANSES is not put under pressure to give positive opinions for this or that product at all costs. This is what would be really dangerous », alerts François Veillerette. ANSES is in the sights of certain unions for having banned or restricted the use of certain pesticides in France before this was the case in the European Union.
Faced with diseases or pests, the NGO calls for considering, first, agronomic responses, such as changing varieties or crop rotation, rather than systematically thinking about the chemical solution.
Another measure announced, “ a circular to prefects to optimize the instruction capacities of livestock projects, to shorten deadlines “, at the risk of short-circuiting the appeals filed by environmental defense associations which protest, for example, against the expansion of intensive breeding sites.
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