Léo Nakish, a South Aveyron resident at the head of the department’s Young Farmers

Léo Nakish nouveau président des JA en Aveyron. Centre Presse – Mathieu Roualdès

Léo Nakich, éleveur d’ovins de Nant, a succédé à Michaël Garrigues, à la tête des Jeunes agriculteurs de l'Aveyron

This time, there were no tractors with tarpaulins and other protest banners, nor skips filled with manure. Coincidentally with the news, only a few days after occupying the roads of the department to shout their anger, the Young Farmers (JA), a union bringing together more than 300 Aveyron farmers under the age of 38, had a meeting this Friday 16 February in Moyrazès.

More than 300 farmers under 38 years old

Not for a new mobilization, but to renew the office. In a very friendly atmosphere, with everyone around the table and even a glass of friendship: prefect, majority parliamentarians, local elected officials…

Other announcements before the Agricultural Show

And after two years of good and loyal service, Michaël Garrigues passed the torch to Léo Nakich, based in South-Aveyron, in Nant. At the age of 25, he worked on the family farm, specializing in organic dairy sheep, for the Bergers du Larzac cheese cooperative. Already involved in the JA for several years, the new president was unable to escape, upon taking office, the particular context affecting the agricultural world. And especially at a time when several breeders are raising their voices to take up the movement, as is the case in other departments…hellip; "We will do it if necessary, but other announcements must arrive before the Agricultural Show", procrastinates Léo Nakich , which nevertheless reminds "of the imperative need to enforce the Egalim law".

Unions shaken up ?

"Everything depends on this fair remuneration of breeders, because with it, we will more easily overcome many problems. Like that of generational renewal because in the coming years, our territories will still suffer from several retirements", he adds. Also aware that the agricultural crisis has given rise to several criticisms of the main unions in the profession, FDSEA in the first place and JA too. This Thursday again, a group of farmers, including many young people and wanting to be independent of the union bodies, met in Baraqueville. In order to form a collective and think about future actions…

"In-depth work"

"Our action is not limited to taking the tractors to go to Rodez. Trade unionism is fundamental work that we carry out every day for all the members, all the breeders", specifies the former president, Michaël Garrigues, at this subject. Joined by his successor, recalling that the national president of the JA was a cattle breeder "like many Aveyronnais", and not Arnaud Rousseau, the agro-industrialist president of the FNSEA regularly at the center of criticism… And of course at the heart of certain discussions between young breeders.

Ground-mounted photovoltaics are no!

But the Aveyron JA yesterday checked off another hot topic for the general assembly: ground-mounted photovoltaics. Already mobilized against the Laissac project – nine hectares in total – several weeks ago, the union reiterated, in front of the prefect, its firm position on the subject. "That's no!", Michaël Garrigues and Léo Nakich said from the podium. "On the roofs of buildings, we are not opposed to it. This can supplement an income. But ground projects are not possible. Aveyron is a land of livestock and we cannot sacrifice hectares for that, especially under the cover of the bad pun ‘‘agrivoltaism’’ ! Before energy sovereignty, there is food sovereignty. And that we already cover all the roofs, that we take care of industrial wastelands and parking lots, before installing panels on our meadows", they recalled. The message has the merit of being clear.

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