Winegrowers in the Heart of Hérault affected by numerous thefts of steel and aluminum fittings from their irrigation system

Winegrowers' watering systems targeted by serial thefts. Midi Libre – Illustration M. B.

For the time being, no one has been arrested but the police, informed, have decided to keep a close eye on things.

After the serial thefts involving 1,000-litre water recovery tanks that hit the headlines last April.

Now it is the watering systems of farmers, and more particularly of winegrowers in the Cœur d'Hérault, that have been targeted by criminals in recent weeks.

Peak recorded on the night of Sunday to Monday

The phenomenon is concentrated in the area of ​​the gendarmerie brigade communities of Clermont-l'Hérault and Gignac, which cover several municipalities. With a peak recorded on the night of Sunday to Monday, August 26.

So much so that the Lodève gendarmerie company, taking this new scourge seriously, decided to set up a major surveillance system in the area with the support, in the air, of a helicopter equipped with infrared cameras, to try to arrest offenders.

Random surveillance

The first operation took place during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday and must have intrigued some residents who heard the blades of the Choucas 34, hovering above their heads.

Although no theft was committed that night, no arrests unfortunately could not be carried out. But the police are not giving up and are ensuring that, “from now on, surveillance will be dedicated to combating these thefts, randomly, in this area”.

Steel or aluminum fittings

It should be noted that these watering systems, of which only the metal parts of the pumps are impacted (steel or aluminum fittings), allow winegrowers to irrigate their vines but also to clean their equipment (tanks, trailers, tractors, etc.).

The disappearance of these parts causes several problems. First of all, irrigation is no longer done to the detriment of crops. This obviously leads to repair costs. Not to mention that there is currently a shortage of parts with long lead times. And among winegrowers, anger is growing…