Yvon Pellet: “the extension of the Gignac ASA will make it possible to maintain an economy and support diversification”

Yvon Pellet, vice-président du Département délégué à l'économie agricole. Midi Libre – MICHAEL ESDOURRUBAILH

While the work to extend the ASA of the Canal de Gignac is launched, the question of the development of irrigation of the vines, from Salagou, is raised by the collective &quot ;Let's save Salagou. Yvon Pellet, vice-president of the Department responsible for agricultural economics and rural development, answers questions. An interview…river.

As you know, the Gignac ASA extension project is causing concern, particularly regarding the resource while the level of the lake is still very low. It struggles to recharge. The Department manages the lake, how do you manage these tidal ranges ?

First of all, I would like to point out that the initial purpose of Lake Salagou was twofold: on the one hand, it was to limit the floods fed by the lake. Salagou stream and on the other hand, it was a question of ensuring irrigation, particularly within the framework of agricultural diversification. It is true that, unfortunately, today there is a lack of rain. In December, the lake level was 137.34 m, which corresponds, approximately, to a volume of nearly 91 million m3 (the normal operating level is 139 m, or 102 million m3) . It is not excluded that it will rain in spring even if we are worried for the entire department. At lake level, since we noticed that global warming was present, we no longer let go all year round, as before, but only to support low water. (towards Lergues and Hérault), in summer, during the drought period. 

The ASA extension project was validated in 2018. Shouldn't we, today,  refresh it ?

Yes, the PGRE, Water Resource Management Plan, was validated in 2018. I would like to emphasize that, within the framework of the CLE, Local Water Commission, (place of consultation – Editor's note ),  there are three colleges: the State, local authorities and users. Among the users are the Hérault Fishing Federation, France nature environment, the Conservatory of Natural Spaces, the Departmental Tourism Committee, the UFC que Choisir… The population is very widely represented . As part of the PGRE, were validated: 2.8 M m3 for future agricultural needs, 0.5 M m3 for drinking water in the middle valley and 200,000 m3 for the Lower Languedoc. Today, in 2024, this scenario might need to be updated, but it has been validated in advance!

The collective "Save the Salagou" questions the relevance of irrigating vines and calls for diversifying agriculture…

Let's be clear: the variety that uses the least water remains the vine! If we want to diversify into market gardening or arboriculture, we need more water. I can hear the criticism from here: today we are going to irrigate and then we are going to distill wine… I understand that this is of concern. But we don't change gear like that. A farm does not transform overnight. We cannot produce grapes one year, melon the next year, squash the following year and then strawberries… In addition, the food crops consume 3 to 5 times more water than viticulture. Then, market gardening requires less surface area. However, if we allow the wasteland to establish itself in the Heart of Hérault, if we abandon the wine-growing territory to make more compact operations, the risk of fire will be increased in periods of drought. There is a balance to be found.

Vine irrigation is often considered unreasonable. What do you think ?

No, I repeat: it is about reasoned and moderate irrigation. Today, in Roussillon and Aude, vines are dying. If they benefited from reasoned and moderate irrigation, which allows them to resist water stress, they would be saved. The idea is not to irrigate with lots of water. Today, in Hérault, we have technical means, such as Agri predict or other independent structures, which make it possible to precisely quantify and dose irrigation needs. I fight the idea that the Department's aid to agriculture is limited to irrigation. Irrigation is one of the support tools, but there is also research on resistant grape varieties, advice on soil work, on inputs… To return to Salagou, the world agricultural is aware that a transition is necessary. Today we are experiencing a turning point in agriculture equivalent to that which we experienced at the end of the 80s when we oriented viticulture, quantity ;towards quality. Today we are in another transition. Territorial food plans encourage us to diversify, part of the vines will perhaps be directed to supply these PAT. We are in a pivotal moment and the profession is really aware of it, particularly young people who are more inclined to adapt to climate change, to short circuits… Farmers are not narrow-minded, they are open to change.

Critics are also leveled at a “productivist policy”, particularly at the level of cooperative cellars. How do you view this question ?

Today, it is not a question of increasing production to increase volume. And the heart of Hérault is a good example of this with the Terrasses du Larzac… Today, investments are intended to always make a better quality product . It's no longer a question of pissing off the vines at 100 hectos per hectare, that's over. And the cooperative cellars are also in this logic of quality. Today, a bulk of ordinary wine no longer leaves, there are no more buyers. Productivity is linked to quality and no longer to quantity. And this extension of the ASA of the Canal de Gignac is a tool which will make it possible to maintain an economy, to manage the water stress of the vines and to support those who want to launch into diversification. And, I repeat, this is something that was very concerted. 

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