Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of an agricultural insurance system, endowed with 600 million euros a year, to help farmers who are victims of climate risks. “This is an important change, we must encourage farmers to ensure“, reacted Friday, September 10 on franceinfo Christiane Lambert, president of FNSEA.
franceinfo: What will this new insurance change?
Christiane Lambert: This is an important change, as for claims that are between 20% and 55% of losses farmers will be encouraged to insure with a [assurance] multiclimate risk. They will have a financial incentive to hold more and when there are bigger demands, it is national solidarity that will play a role. It is the insurers who will manage and not the administrative services, which take nine months to reimburse.
So it’s a three-stage rocket. And this corresponds to what had been recommended by deputy Mr. [Frédéric] Descrozaille who has worked on this issue with professional organizations. The 2021 weather events won the decision and the government understood that it had to be done now.
Was this year too much for farmers?
Yes. Remember the frost. All French regions were affected, winegrowers are harvesting today and the loss is 30%. It’s catastrophic, it’s also less money in revenue. There are 70% less apricots, so prices are 20% to 25% higher. Therefore, we must first protect our crops, and when there are losses, farmers must receive additional insurance indemnity, then national solidarity in order to sustain themselves economically.
Our businesses have no roof. We work openly and he is capricious. You cannot function as if you were making metal or rolls of adhesive. Agriculture is life. There is popular support today. If we want to have production in quantity, we must protect, and farms must resist when there are severe shocks.
Have you quantified the losses for 2021?
The estimated damage caused by frosts in viticulture, vegetables and fruits was over 4 billion euros. The state has put a billion euros on the table, but in no case and never covers all the damage.
Ultimately, the goal is to have 70% to 80% of farmers covered by insurance. Farmers should be encouraged to take out insurance. We insure our car, our house, our dog, our cat, our moped, and we do not insure our crops when they are too exposed to the weather. It is a new culture that must be developed. It is a work of conviction that we are going to do with the farmers.