Ain. Young farmers of Ain: "We constantly have a sword of Damocles hanging over our heads"

Do you rely on public aid when a herd has to be decimated?

"Of course! We often say that it's a job we love, but it must also remain a job, one that allows us to earn money. And we mustn't forget that. The psychological aspect is also very important when we decide to cull or kill a herd on a farm. But it's a collective challenge; we must think about the general defense of the herds and we must adopt the right strategies to limit the spread."

Illnesses become part of your daily life...

"We work with living things, we constantly have a sword of Damocles hanging over our heads. We're controlling diseases more and more, we're doing more and more tests. So inevitably, we're finding more and more. It's a daily concern for breeders that is there and that weighs heavily. We have to work with it and try to limit the risks as much as possible."

Is worry everywhere?

"Indeed, it's there. For us breeders, but also for the sectors. Every time we make a decision, when we pass a law, we have to think about the impact on agriculture, on our farms. We have to think about our food sovereignty and the maintenance of our workshops, our tools in place. To maintain quality French production."

Despite the environmental and health crisis, was everyone still in the mood for the agricultural festival this weekend?

"Yes, of course! It's an important event for all agriculture, and especially for the Young Farmers network. It allows us to get messages across and communicate with the general public about what we do and how we work."

Is the national context improving for you?

"Despite some upheaval surrounding the Duplomb law in particular, many of the advances we demanded during the protests are there, even if they have once again been stigmatized by a debate that is utterly nonsensical. We are going to eliminate French production that is virtuous, with tools that allow us to limit the use of these products as much as possible, to import products from abroad that use twice as much as we do. I have trouble understanding where the ecological and environmental common sense is. We have one of the most virtuous agricultures and we are among the farmers who are the most careful in the world. It's always frustrating to be targeted like this when we are making every effort possible to limit the impacts."

What is at stake for young farmers today?

"To encourage young people to set up their own businesses. It's true that we have a difficult and demanding job, but it's still a noble profession; we feed the population. There are challenges, but it's still a wonderful profession. So the challenge is to maintain our production, to succeed in renewing the generations and finding motivated young people to take over these structures and perpetuate our know-how and our quality."

How are operators doing today?

"We're coming off a big year of mobilization, with farmers fed up with being constantly targeted and singled out for various issues. The community is becoming tense. We're coming off a heatwave that impacted crops and yields, and now the disease is upon us. This is obviously weighing on everyone's minds."