French Farmers Receive Ministerial Support After Weather-Related Setbacks

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau, and Secretary of State for the Sea Hervé Berville visited the Lebreuilly family's organic vegetable farm in Bretteville-sur-Ay, Normandy. The farm was battered by Storm Ciarán and subsequent flooding, but despite significant losses, the couple has managed to rebuild and are now cultivating 60-70 vegetable varieties. Their visit offered an opportunity to discuss concerns such as the challenges faced by organic agriculture, watercourse management, and the invasive plant, souchet, which threatens their crops.

On the afternoon of Friday, April 26, 2024, an unexpected visit was announced to Charlène and Thomas Lebreuilly, organic vegetable producers in Bretteville-sur-Ay, Normandy, France. The following day, they would receive none other than Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau, and Secretary of State for the Sea Hervé Berville.

Initially, the news left Thomas Lebreuilly feeling "super impressed" and "a bit stressed." The arrival of mine detectors to inspect his tractors and a swarm of cameras would understandably make anyone's stomach churn. However, he later reflected on the experience as "superb," describing the three ministers as "benevolent."

"We knew we wouldn't see them twice," he said. "Just like with the prefect of Manche, we felt supported, and it gave us a different perspective."

The ministerial visit came at a critical time for the Lebreuillys, whose farm had recently endured severe weather events. In November, Storm Ciarán wreaked havoc on their property, destroying all their greenhouses.

"At that point, we thought about giving up everything," Thomas Lebreuilly recalled. "But we found strength thanks to our customers, our supporters, and a great group of friends."

Just a few months later, in February, their inventory and crops were submerged by floods, further delaying the reconstruction of the greenhouses. "There are still traces, but ultimately, it was more fear than harm considering the height of the water," Thomas said.

The visit by the ministers, therefore, occurred at a moment of financial difficulty for the Lebreuillys, who felt like they were "starting from scratch again."

Established in 2021, the couple cultivates an array of vegetables on their sandy soil farm, utilizing both traditional and innovative techniques. They pride themselves on using composted bovine manure and seaweed as natural fertilizers, a practice they hope to preserve despite concerns about the diminishing availability of seaweed resources.

During their meeting with Attal, Fesneau, and Berville, the Lebreuillys shared their concerns but also expressed their gratitude for the government's assistance following Storm Ciarán. They also discussed challenges faced by the organic farming sector, watercourse maintenance, and bureaucratic hurdles.

Despite the setbacks they have faced, the Lebreuillys remain hopeful about the future, especially with the support of their community. "After the storm, we lost the last of our summer vegetables, and there were still quite a lot of them," Thomas said. "The winter was tough; we couldn't work for several months. But now we've picked ourselves up again. If nothing else happens from now on, we'll have a good summer."

However, one major concern overshadows their optimism: the proliferation of the nutsedge weed. "This invasive plant is infesting the region from Agon-Coutainville to Port-Bail-sur-Mer," Thomas explained. "Neither organic nor conventional farmers can control it. It's a huge problem because it multiplies at an extraordinary rate, suffocating seedlings and plants."

Nutsedge has become a significant problem in Switzerland, where a single plant can produce thousands of new ones, encapsulating vegetable root systems and preventing growth. "Currently, there is no specific product that can eliminate it," confirmed Stéphane Travert, a former Minister of Agriculture and current deputy for Manche. Pascal Férey, president of the Manche Chamber of Agriculture, referred to nutsedge as "a genuine scourge that no mechanical means can stop."