cattle breeders are waiting for a strong signal

“Cattle breeders in the Grand Massif Central have been alerting the government for several years now, the figures are alarming. » In a press release sent to our editorial staff by the Regional Federation of Farmers’ Unions (FRSEA) of the Massif Central, the alarm bells are ringing.

The number of breeders and cattle is in free fall in the Massif Central: -26% of livestock farms and -10% of cattle between 2010 and 2020, -2.8% per year of suckler cows from 2020.

“While beef production in France falls by 5% in 2022, beef imports record a new record of 22% increase. The economic and environmental consequences for rural areas are largely underestimated,” it is specified.

In the frame of the Livestock Summitbreeders call on the government to go to the land and hear “the very strong expectations of new generations”.

“Need for consistency and clear perspectives”

Beyond the speeches, suckler breeders affirm that they “need consistency and clear perspectives to stop this trend. At present, this consistency is far from being established! Public policy objectives contradict each other. Drop in production? Food sovereignty? Low carbon strategy ? Growing imports of meat that do not meet European health and environmental production standards? »

“On the one hand, breeders in the Grand Massif Central are committed to adapting their systems to climate change and to strengthening the positive externalities (environmental, societal, territorial) of their farms; on the other, the State sends contradictory signals. The preservation of sustainable livestock farming systems in the Grand Massif Central will depend on France’s capacity to bring coherence to all public policies that impact the sector. »

Regarding their remuneration, breeders are demanding full application of the EGA 2 law: “Although in a more favorable context in terms of prices paid to breeders, production costs are not yet covered,” adds the FRSEA.