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In the midst of a winter drought, a thousand farmers demonstrated this Tuesday in Mont-de-Marsan (Landes), at the call of the FNSEA and Young Farmers, to defend their rights to take samples for irrigation and construction of water storage structures.
After being received by the prefect of Landes, a delegation indicated that "
precautionary measures
" had been announced for two years, pending a lasting agreement on water management in the Adour basin. .
"
The idea is to maintain the quotas for 2023 and 2024
", i.e. the 208 million cubic meters available in the basin, "
while continuing to work on an agreement to consolidate irrigation over 15 years
", explained Paul Carrère. , vice-president of the Landes department and of the managing entity Irrigadour.
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After an unfavorable opinion from the Environmental Authority on Irrigadour's application for a single multiannual authorization (AUP), it highlights a necessary balance between “
environmental demand
” and agriculture.
“
There is work to be done on wastewater or on other water savings which would make it possible to maintain the quantities while avoiding pumping into the groundwater
,” he added.
Asked, the prefecture did not wish to comment.
“A worrying meteorological drought”
Before leaving the scene in the afternoon, farmers dumped slurry and tires over several hundred meters, also leaving behind them a large black tarpaulin on which one could read: "Water, when there
is hold, we hold it
”.
Before the meeting, the president of the FDSEA Hautes-Pyrénées, Christian Fourcade, had deplored that "
the only adjustment variable chosen
" in the face of climate change, "
is to lower the quotas
", and that there is no has not had in his department "
construction of works for the storage of water since 1830
".
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“
We are fed up, we are hitting on the farmers but our goal is not to dry out the planet
”, declared for her part Marlène Duru, a 27-year-old agricultural worker from the Landes, who fears having to give up a soft fruit production project if access to irrigation is restricted.
In January, the Geological and Mining Research Bureau (BRGM) said it was "
quite pessimistic
" about the availability next summer of groundwater, which provides two-thirds of drinking water and one-third of agricultural irrigation in the country.
“
France is experiencing a worrying meteorological drought
”, also warned Météo-France on Tuesday, confirming that the country had just experienced a “
series of 31 consecutive days
” without real rain, “
unheard of during a meteorological winter
”.
“
I'm not worried, it's only February.
If it does not rain by the end of May, then it will be more worrying
, ”put into perspective among the demonstrators Serge Dubroca, 60, corn producer in the Landes.