“There are people who, through violence, intend to defy the law,” protested the Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, a guest of the RTL Grand Jury.-Le Figaro-LCI, this Sunday. Asked about his fear of clashes between activists and police during the international mobilization scheduled for March 25 against the mega-basins, the minister responded affirmatively.
“In these projects the law has been approved. Resources have been refined, scientific analyzes have been carried out”, insisted Marc Fesneau.
You have people who, despite that, consider that now, having exhausted the democratic paths, they are taking the path of force,” he added.
The Minister returned at length to the Saint-Soline (Deux-Sèvres) affair, during which environmental activists notably cut a pipeline around the basin project last October.
Does Marine Tondelier know that 95% of a tomato is water?
According to the Minister of Agriculture, this basin project is “virtuous”: “the matter of Sainte-Soline is 21 million cubic meters that were taken in summer. It is foreseen in the project that, due to the reserves that accumulate in winter, In total, only 13 million are taken. Of these 13 million, half must be taken in summer, the rest constituting a reserve in winter.
Marc Fesneau was also upset by the behavior of Marine Tondelier, the national secretary of the EELV, which supports the future international mobilization against the basins:
“What does Madame Tondelier propose, doing agriculture without water?”
“Does she know that 95% of a tomato is water? (…) Does she know that animals need water? ‘Grass, do you need water?’ Asked the minister before expressing his “desperation” and his ” irritation”.
“I understand that farmers are a little fed up with being told that they have to make an effort, and that even with that effort it is not enough,” continued the macronista before concluding: “Without water, there is no agriculture.”
Opponents denounce “water hoarding”
Mega-basins must collect water in winter from groundwater so farmers are less affected by summer drought. Opponents of these projects denounce “water hoarding.”
After violent clashes between the police and environmental protesters in Sainte-Soline last October, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin had denounced the “modus operandi” of the militants, describing them as “eco-terrorism”.
“If it rains as it usually rains regularly in spring, we won’t have any difficulties because we won’t have to draw water from groundwater or from watercourses,” the minister said, while ‘Emmanuel Macron called on Saturday at the agricultural fair. to “pay attention to this resource that is becoming scarce” and campaigns for “sober behaviors in our practices”. “Anticipation is the best thing you can do,” he said.
Source: BFM TV
