In Foix, Ariège, on Monday, September 28, 2026, the Confédération Paysanne (Farmers’ Confederation) contested the amount and allocation criteria for agricultural aid under the CASI plan, announced after the summer droughts. The union is demanding that small farms also have access to the program.
Controversial emergency aid
Representatives from the Ariège branch of the Confédération Paysanne (Farmers’ Confederation) met with officials from the prefecture. According to Angel Allègre, the union’s general secretary, the government mentioned an additional allocation of €891,000 for the department. He considers this sum insufficient, however, given the losses reported by farmers.
The CASI plan—Climate, Adaptation, Drought, Fires—was announced by the government on September 4. The Ministry of Agriculture is presenting a national program of over one billion euros, which combines compensation for certain losses and support for the recovery of agricultural production. It also includes a 235 million euro agricultural recovery fund, distributed among the regions. ( agriculture.gouv.fr )
Losses reported in several productions
The union describes a series of climatic and health-related difficulties. In Ariège, its members report the impact of drought on market gardening and livestock farming: autumn crops are difficult to plant, yields are down, and there is a shortage of fodder or pasture. These observations are reported by the Confédération Paysanne (Farmers’ Confederation); they do not, in themselves, constitute a comprehensive, quantified assessment of the situation at the departmental level.
Access criteria at the heart of the applications
Beyond the amount of aid, the union is concerned about its distribution. It is calling for a relaxation of the eligibility conditions, in particular so that farms of less than one hectare and those that do not declare any land to the CAP are not excluded.
The Confédération Paysanne (Farmers’ Confederation) indicates that discussions with the prefecture are ongoing, even though it criticizes the government’s response. At the national level, the ministry clarifies that claims for compensation under the ISN (Natural Disaster Compensation) scheme are examined based on recognized losses and applicable mechanisms; local criteria therefore remain crucial for the farms concerned. ( agriculture.gouv.fr )
Source: France 3 Occitanie Regions – weather
Original article: See the original source
