The worst drought in decades, threatening to paralyze the Agriculture of the France, while strict water restrictions are imposed across the country.
Herv? Brul?, a project director at the French Ministry of ecology, told FRANCE 24 Wednesday the water shortage was more severe than 1976, when a heat wave and drought of 16 months shrunken much of Northern Europe.
"It is far worse than any record," he said. "Of course the time could change that we are going in the second half of the year, but for the moment, we had less precipitation in the spring than in 1976.".
Brul?, said water restrictions were active in 58 of 96 departments of continental of the France, households, meaning was forbidden by law to water their gardens or fill their pools, some days and during daylight hours (see chart below).
The France is the largest producer of wheat in the EU, and a bad harvest could have important implications for the price of bread well beyond its borders.
And France itself, a prolonged drought could have serious consequences in a sector which is already on the Board.
Farmers in debt
Among the worst affected is the younger generation, which borrowed heavily to invest in properties that have been ravaged by time dry.
Daniel Prieu, a farmer of livestock in the region of Franche-Comt?, on the Switzerland border, explained that first crop year of cereals, which is mainly used for animal feed, short of 60%.
He said "a farmer in cattle in two will find impossible to balance the cost of purchase in the diet with the cost of payment of the debts they have accumulated for essential investment on their farms,".
"In 1976, he did y not the same level of debt.". We just tightened our belts and obtained through it. There are fewer options now. ?
Mr. Prieu, which is at the head of the Chamber of the Ministry of agriculture and Deputy, Secretary General of the FNSEA farmers union, stressed the fact that he is optimistic for the future, and that rain will fall this summer.
"But 2003 was an exceptionally dry year," he said. "Thus was 2010, and we now have this unprecedented drought." Unlike some, I am taking climate change to the very serious. ?
Emergency Fund
During this time, the Government said on Tuesday that French Bank Credit Agricole was preparing for an emergency fund of $ 700 billion of euros in cheap loans to pump liquidity in the agricultural sector.
Agriculture Minister Bruno mayor said that Credit Agricole agreed with 1.5% to 2% for young farmers preferential loans, even if this measure applies only to livestock producers who pay regularly in national agricultural disaster fund.
"This version of 700 million euros of loans is immediate, automatic and without conditions for all French farmers," the mayor said at a press conference. "To think that we could through this with 80 or 100 million euros would be naive."
The Mayor added that the despair in the agricultural community has been so acute, that the Government is seeking assistance from the specialized organizations to prevent suicide among farmers.
Restrictions in the use of non-essential water
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