Two days after the eventful inauguration of the Agricultural Show, Emmanuel Macron held a meeting this Monday morning to follow up on the agricultural crisis with several ministers: Gabriel Attal, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Bruno Le Maire, Gérald Darmanin, Christophe Béchu and Olivia Grégoire.
“We must strengthen our agriculture while maintaining our objectives of reducing phytosanitary products and our environmental efforts,” he told them, according to comments reported to the press by the Élysée.
“Let us not give in to the demagogies of the moment.
We must make it simple and strong while being responsible for the French,” he added.
The president also called for “succeeding in agriculture what we have achieved in industry”, in reference to green reindustrialization which he regularly highlights as a success in his record.
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Immediately, the Élysée announced the holding on Tuesday in Bercy around the Ministers of Economy and Agriculture, Bruno Le Maire and Marc Fesneau, of a new meeting "on farmers' cash flow plans and the way to help them”, with the tax authorities, banks, insurers and the agricultural social mutuality.
The president wants to see the work of “departmental census” of farmers experiencing cash flow difficulties who would require assistance initiated as quickly as possible.
It will take a few days or weeks “depending on the pace at which the farmers come forward”, according to those around him.
Launch of a project on floor prices
During this meeting, the Head of State also called for the mobilization of all prefectures and sub-prefectures and decided to set up, for the next two months, a permanent office in each sub-prefecture to “resolve individual situations in connection with the various State services and operators.”
Emmanuel Macron also “asked Bercy to launch a project on floor prices with all professional agricultural organizations”, with the objective of achieving success in view of the future bill that Prime Minister Gabriel Attal promised to present by the summer on farmers' income.
The president underlined the importance of seizing the Council of State on the recognition of agriculture as a “major general interest of the French nation”.
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Emmanuel Macron, in preparation for the meeting with the unions at the Élysée which is to be held in three weeks, the date of which has not been specified at this stage, would like to collect the union demands “within ten days” to put into effect implement the few fundamental measures that would put an end to the crisis.
According to his services, Emmanuel Macron asked agricultural unions on Saturday “to come up with four or five demands strong enough to structure trade”.
Behind this request, there is “the desire to establish a common reference framework”, “to have a few measures identified by all the stakeholders”, explained an advisor.
“We must now end the crisis and agree on the few fundamental measures to make a difference for farmers and allow farmers to return home peacefully and to have been heard,” added another advisor.