Given the emergency facing the cherry sector - unfavorable weather and pests - the FNPFruits along with the PDO Cerises de Table, Cerises d'Industrie, and the inter-professional association for the Bigarreau d'industrie (ANIBI) have asked the Minister of Agriculture for rapid solutions: financial support, practical technical solutions and measures to prevent imports.
Photo : FNPFruits
On July 27, all four organizations took part in a workshop, attended by Marc Fesneau. Participants voiced their main concerns and questions, and above all "stressed the urgent nature" of producers' lack of resources. "In short, the idea was to reiterate all the requests we've been making for a number of months, without any response, on the subject of phytosanitary measures, technical deadlocks and possible aid or compensation", explains Gilles Baraize, Director of the Fédération Nationale des Producteurs de Fruits (FNPF). Producers have to cope with increasingly restrictive phytosanitary regulations (Phosmet to be phased out in 2022 and Dimethoate in 2020), as well as unfavorable weather conditions that foster the spread of Drosophila Suzukii. The situation is untenable, as Gilles Baraize explains: "Some growers won't carry on, but we don't yet know how many. Quite a few are waiting for the next few months before making up their minds.
Following the Minister's request, the industry is currently drawing up a detailed report on losses due to climatic hazards and pests.
The requests made to the Minister focused mainly on :
Research: the organizations are asking that funding be provided for the research "already underway, but which is not moving forward fast enough due to a lack of resources". The industry is also calling for an integrated technical approach, bringing together a range of solutions and molecules that can be used by growers.
Compensation: Requests for compensation have been made for crop losses relating to the 2023 campaign "but outside the minimum requirements".
Regulations: the organizations also expressed their wish for a harmonized set of regulations on a European level, and for the application of mirrored provisions to importing countries, notably Chile and Turkey, which "don't play by the same rules", underlines Gilles Baraize.
While no concrete solution was proposed at the end of the day, the Minister" committed to providing swift support to the producers affected", and invited the industry to a meeting in September "to discuss prospects for the future: protection and research for 2024 and beyond".
For further information:
Gilles Baraize, FNPFruits Director: 06 75 17 54 75
Alexandra Lacoste, PDO Table Cherry Manager: 06 71 76 18 89
Nathalie Nevoltris, CEBI Manager: 06 40 12 49 55
