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By APD writer Aditya Nugraha
PARIS, Sept. 6 (APD) - The ensuing heat and lack of rain in France has hampered the nation’s sustainable farming drive, leading to the elimination of fallow fields and creating tensions that are not so favorable to the negotiations over the EU’s new Common Agricultural Policy.
Some 14,000 farms out of 440,000 have filed compensation claims, following extreme coupled with lack of rain during spring and summer, according to France’s main agricultural trade union (FNSEA).
The extreme weather has created severe problems for the farming sector that is already fragile. Crop loss leads to a loss of revenue, especially for the summer crops, such as maize, sugar beet, potatoes and pastures, which have been hit the hardest.
Winter crops, such as wheat, barley and rapeseed, are doing quite well in terms of volumes, but international market prices are relatively low.
On the other hand, agricultural aid distribution mechanism has created inequalities, according to French court of auditors.
In a summary judgment French court of auditors said that the mechanism is unequal and produces negative effects.
The chamber is calling for changes to how aid is allocated under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Compensation only works for farmers who are insured, and few farmers can fully insure their affected crops.
The annual cost of drought periods is continuously increasing, reaching up to €700-900 million a year, depending on the year, according to the French Insurance Federation.
FNSEA estimated agricultural losses to amount to €80 million this year. The losses will affect some parts of the country, such as the Massif Central and the North-East more than others.
To respond the developing situation French agricultural ministry has decided to advance the payment of CAP subsidies to October, delay the payment of contributions to the country’s primary social cover system for farmers, the Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA) and exempt farmers from property tax on undeveloped properties.
In a paradox move French government has authorized suspension of a measure to combat climate change in dealing with the ensuing drought, which is caused by climate change.
Farmers are told to leave 15% of their land to rest each year, so that they can be used as fallow fields as part of CAP’s ‘greening’ measures.
The order was aimed at allowing for better absorption of water and CO2 so as to make soils capturing better water and CO2 better and limiting carbon emissions from the agricultural sector.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
