The French government pays vine growers to uproot vineyards

The French government is allocating 230 million euros to address the demands of the wine sector, with a portion designated for the removal of several hectares of vines. This system of temporary and structural state aid was announced in a statement by Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau. "The crisis in the wine sector persists, with the southern regions of France clearly facing more difficulties. The State will support vine growers affected by this crisis, as I had announced and committed to doing. I will go to Hérault as soon as possible to present these measures to them," said Fesneau.

Allocation of funds

The statement announces a strengthening of emergency economic support measures and regulatory and financial structural support through two directions in which the allocated 230 million euros will be distributed.

"The immediate establishment of an emergency fund of 80 million euros to support our winegrowers facing cash flow difficulties caused by unforeseen events" is planned. An emergency measure that will be applied "very quickly, with the opening of applications at the prefecture starting Monday, February 5, 2024, and the first payments before the International Agricultural Show," and will be under the responsibility of the prefects of the departments in the crisis-stricken wine regions.

The remaining 150 million euros will be earmarked as "State support in addition to the funds of the national wine program (OCM) to implement a deferred restructuring, including the option of uprooting 'without replanting' with a view to agricultural diversification, while ensuring the continuity of other actions in the national aid program." The goal is to "allow winegrowers who decide to withdraw from wine production to remain in agricultural activity and invest in other agricultural productions suitable for the territories and their climate."

Protesting winemakers

This is a response from the French government aimed at addressing the increasingly heated protests of recent days, which have led to an escalation of increasingly violent events (starting in October with the destruction of wine from abroad). Among the latest voices joining the chorus demanding government action are Bordeaux winegrowers who have blocked roads, disrupting traffic on the city's highway, to protest against the French government's proposal to eliminate the current tax break on agricultural diesel and increasingly demanding bureaucratic practices.