France announces aid to farmers affected by drought

The French Government has announced around EUR 1 billion in aid todrought-affected farmers in the French Basque Country. ere this summer has been very hard for the agricultural sector. 

High temperatures, lack of water and fires have caused great difficultieson farms  Faced with this situation, France wants to provide financial support to farmers and deal with drought losses .

However, the response of the French Government does not fully convince the sector. Some agricultural unions consider the aid announced to be insufficient and demand a six-fold increase, so that farmers' representatives will meetnext week with the French Ministry of Agriculture to pass on their demands.

In the French Basque Country, the Union of Basque Country Growers (ELB) has, for the time being, a cautious position. The organisation has indicated that it needs to know more details and have time to analysethe exact content of the aid package before assessing it.

The union also highlights the difficult situation that farmers are currently experiencing , the impact of drought and heat is being felt economically, but also physically and mentally, increasing pressure on farms already facing uncertainty .

The aid is therefore well received as an immediate response, but the sector also looks to the future. The climate situation has led farmers in the Northern Basque Country to consider which crops they will be able to maintain or increase over the next few years and how to adapt farms to warmer conditions and more accessible water.

The next meeting with the Minister of Agriculture will be key to whether the aid announced by the French Government meets the real needs of farmers and whether there will be room for further support for the sector.