It will take them weeks, if not months, to repair. In northern Finistère, farmers suffered heavy damage following the passage of storms Ciaran and Domingos. In this sector where market gardening is particularly present, the violent winds, which blew up to 200 km/h, ravaged the horticultural greenhouses. The plastic tunnels were torn apart by the gusts. The glass structures fared no better, falling to the ground under the force of the gusts.
Visiting the sector on Wednesday, the vice-president of the Brittany region, delegate for Agriculture, was struck by the apocalyptic decor of certain farms. “I saw things I never thought I would see. I saw greenhouses absolutely devastated, work tools reduced to nothing. Those who are affected are in complete disarray,” testifies Arnaud Lécuyer. The elected official estimates that the amount of damage linked to storm Ciaran already amounts to “several tens of millions of euros” among farmers in the region alone. President Emmanuel Macron visited the area on November 3 to demonstrate the State’s desire to “restore normal life as quickly as possible”.
On Wednesday, the regional council announced immediate aid of one million euros “before the end of the year”. In the form of a call for projects, this envelope is primarily aimed at professionals growing in tunnel or chapel greenhouses. Often fragile, these structures are not covered by insurance. The price of these greenhouses can, however, be significant and climb up to 8,000 euros per unit for the largest.
An emergency to repair or replace
Beyond the distress caused by the loss of winter crops, there is the urgency of having to repair or replace damaged structures. “If in three weeks, we have not reassembled all of our tunnels, there will be no production in the spring,” warns Sandrine Gawron, organic market gardener in Plougastel-Daoulas. Without its peas, new potatoes, radishes, salads or carrots, the Breton market gardener would lose 50% of its turnover. “We don’t have a cash advance. We cannot afford to have a blank year,” she warns, asking for urgent aid from the State.
Questioned by Finistère MP Mélanie Thomin (Nupes), government spokesperson Olivier Véran announced that the natural disaster committee will meet on November 14 and that a decree “will be taken in the days that follow. »