Didier Guillaume, French Minister of Agriculture and Food, announces the opening of a national system to support farmers who invest in high-performance equipment, which allows limiting treatment distances and establishing cheaper technical routes for plant protection products.

With a budget of 30 million euros, this investment aid is consistent with the new system implemented on January 1, 2020 to strengthen the protection of residents during the use of plant protection products. Users of these products must establish non-treatment zones near living areas, which can be reduced in the case of the use of high-performance equipment, complying with the technical standards specified by the regulations. Farmers are encouraged to display letters of commitment in consultation with local residents, to outline methods of implementing protective measures.

Managed by FranceAgriMer, the system will be open from mid-June to December 31, 2020. It will provide financial support for the purchase of more efficient plant protection product application equipment, which will significantly reduce product drift or spray dose. plant protection products, as well as the purchase of equipment that allows establishing alternative technical routes for the use of plant protection products. Farmers, economic and environmental interest groups (GIEE) and cooperatives for the use of agricultural equipment (CUMA) from all sectors of vegetable cultivation in the national territory may claim it (viticulture, field crops, fruits and vegetables and specialized vegetable crops).

Thus, an additional 30 million euros are mobilized to support all plant sectors, in addition to investment support measures already implemented throughout the territory and co-financed by the Ministry in charge of Agriculture, Regional Councils and Water.

"The State intends to guarantee the protection of residents and support farmers in the deployment of good agricultural practices, by investing in efficient equipment. These efforts will have to be materialized in the letters of commitment prepared at the local level, which it should allow laying the foundations for a peaceful dialogue between farmers and residents, "said Didier Guillaume.