Legislative 2024: after the great crisis at the start of the year, why agriculture is no longer a priority

Since the farmers' discontent, the issue is no longer addressed by politicians. FREE MIDI – Mikael Anisset

Despite a crisis at the start of the year, which brought the main political parties out of the woods, agricultural issues are now falling under the radar of the candidates.

If ecology is the poor relation of the legislative campaign, what can we say about agriculture, which was not even discussed during the first debate between the three political forces, Tuesday evening on TF1 ?

"We were put forward for weeks and weeks and, now, our demands are eclipsed on the altar of political squabbles", exasperates Hérault resident Rémi Dumas, number two of the Young Farmers. However, there is a lot of talk about agriculture in this countryside. But not on TV. In the field. In agricultural districts.

An essential theme in the rural sector, in territories where it is both the leading economy and the leading employer.
In many departments, candidates are invited to debate to talk "our demands on all important files which were put on stand-by after the dissolution", underlines Rémi Dumas.

What about pesticides or foreign labor??

Firstly, the agricultural orientation law, which was to set the course to follow while waiting for the President of the Republic to speak, originally scheduled for September, for respond to the crisis. The opportunity also to discuss hot topics: the phyto plan and the use of pesticides, the future of the essential foreign workforce, if the National Gathering puts implementing its project on immigration. Or the question of a minimum income or administrative simplification, the projects for which were stopped by the political crisis.

In Hérault, the JA invited the 55 candidates to participate in this round table this Friday. The outgoing Renaissance deputies (Patricia Mirallès, Laurence Cristol and Patrick Vignal) will be present. Those from LFI (Nathalie Oziol, Sébastien Rome and Sylvain Carrière) did not respond. On the RN side, Aurélien Lopez-Liguori will be there, Stéphanie Galzy is excused. Just like Philippe Huppé and Jean-François Elliaou. A good half of candidates should be present to discuss agricultural issues.

"A very discreet subject"

But overall, the subject no longer mobilizes the crowds. And we have to delve back into the programs for the 2022 presidential election to unearth the proposals.

In Le Monde, Mathieu Courgeau, vice-president of the Nourrir associative collective, read all the party proposals, but he ;surprises "that the subject is so discreet, after the big agricultural mobilizations of this winter". It found something in common with the establishment of floor prices. A concept more or less developed depending on the parties, but rather shared. As for the rest, you have to move on.

In particular on the issue of installation and transmission. "While, within five years, almost half of farmers will be of retirement age, generational renewal is a crucial issue", jointly underline the agricultural organizations of the region. Not to mention the challenge surrounding water resources and the climate issue. The other poor relative of this campaign…

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