At the Agricultural Show, Midi Libre opens the debate on viticulture in the face of new hazards

A current debate around personalities from Occitanie. FREE NOON

The opportunity to share the projects carried out to support change management.

The feeling is shared, water is a precious asset that must be protected. "Today we have a social debate, even indicates Jacques Gravegeal, president of the IGP Pays d’Oc union. A dialogue is necessary on the need for water that everyone will have to manage, water must be shared", insists the Hérault winegrower, citing in passing the’ beneficial action of the BRL company in the region.

Yvon Pellet can only agree with him on these points. The vice-president of the Hérault Department, delegate for agricultural economics and rural development, defends the idea that irrigation for viticulture has not not for "objective of making the vine piss, it’is to carry the water stress which the vine, the strain lacks, it’is to preserve the quality of production", he maintains, pleading for winter water retention "which will allow water to be redistributed during the summer, this makes it essential for me".

Important work on research

The agricultural crisis has consolidated the collective action of public authorities around the water problem. Jean-Louis Cazaubon, vice-president of the regional council, in charge of Food Sovereignty, Viticulture and Mountains confirms this. "Deductions require resources. Local authorities have worked in the past to build roads, to bring electricity to homes, we must now worry about water. We have a Water Plan with 160 million euros for this purpose."

How to support winegrowers in this transformation ? This is the priority of Magali Saumade, president of the Gard Chamber of Agriculture, who recalls the "work carried out on around twenty grape varieties resistant to climatic hazards. The work on research is very important", and which highlights another aspect, technical support for climate change on farms.

The Gard Chamber of Agriculture was also selected by the France Chamber of Agriculture to deploy this system on the national territory.