Lot-et-Garonne is one of the departments most mobilized to denounce the situation in the agricultural world, for the third day this Wednesday. Slurry and waste were dumped in front of the Agen prefecture, with up to 400 farmers mobilized during the day in this department where 53% of the territory is identified as useful agricultural area. It is one of the vegetable gardens of France, where plums, prunes, strawberries, kiwis, hazelnuts and also cereals are grown.
Leading the mobilization is the Rural Coordination, the majority professional union across the department which has adorned its members with its colors, yellow and black. Yellow hats and black caps were screwed on the heads of the demonstrators, during the blocking operations which particularly targeted the prefecture and the departmental management of the territories. “In Agen, we have no other targets that represent the State,” comments Aurélie Armand, director of Rural Coordination in Lot-et-Garonne, which has around a thousand members. A little more than 5,000 farms are registered in this territory.
“A strong union”, which has the confidence of farmers
“We have a strong union which is very active on many local issues which are taken up nationally,” explains the director. We mobilize easily because people trust us. » She says that meetings with the authorities have been organized for several months and that the lack of follow-up to these meetings explains the strong mobilization. So much so that these yellow caps have been spotted from afar.
This Wednesday, the motivation is intact and the farmers are getting organized. “They take turns to block the highway, so it’s not always the same people sleeping there,” describes Aurélie Armand. And there is also work on the farms.” The root of the anger is known to everyone, according to her: “The agricultural world is made up of men and women who work enormously, much more than most workers in this country and for much less income. »