a delegation received at the prefecture of Caen
The rise in fuel prices has not finished reacting in Normandy. After the mobilization of fishermen and truckers at the start of the week, this Thursday, March 24, 2022, it is the agricultural subcontractors who are mobilizing.
This morning, dozens of agricultural machines left from all over Calvados (Vire, Bayeux, Falaise and Villers-Bocage) to meet in Ifs, near Caen, and set up a filter dam, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. , at the Blue roundabout. “We chose this place because it is a symbolic place of the movement initiated by the Yellow Vests”, explained Freddy Preel, regional delegate of EDT Normandy, at the origin of the movement.
Around noon, agricultural machinery began to flock to the southern ring road of Caen, causing some disruption in terms of traffic.
A delegation received at the prefecture
Once the fifty or so tractors had reached their objective, namely the Bleu d’Ifs roundabout, the situation became the least complex on the road. At 12:30 p.m., only the left lane was calmly neutralized at this strategic point on the Caen ring road. Vehicles can therefore circulate without too much difficulty on the right-hand lane.
Around 1:30 p.m., four agricultural machines and a dozen people headed for the city center of Caen, indicates our reporter present on the spot, after agreement from the prefect. They left under police escort. They will be received at the prefecture at 2 p.m.
A discontent organized by EDT
What is behind this movement? Territorial Entrepreneurs (EDT) from Normandy. They are agricultural and forestry subcontractors, that is to say that they rent machines and make employees available to help farmers in particular from time to time. They occur as “the movement of agricultural, forestry and rural service entrepreneurs in Normandy”.
They ask, among other things, the “blocking the price of non-road diesel (GNR) at €0.80 per liter excluding tax maximum (against €1.73 today) and the guarantee of fuel supply”.
Convoys noticed since the beginning of the morning
Throughout the morning, already, this movement could cause slowdowns on certain axes of Calvados, even if the organizers assured it from Wednesday: “The idea is not to annoy all road users who are, just like us, victims of rising fuel costs. »
Around 11:30 a.m., Bison smart indicated, for example, that a snail operation was in progress on the N158, in the Falaise direction towards Caen, from Soumont-Saint-Quentin to Ifs.
A dozen tractors in Vire
From 9 a.m. on Thursday March 24, a dozen tractors and a forage harvester were parked in the parking lot of E.Leclerc de Vire Normandie. They belonged to contractors at the head of the Agricultural Works Company (ETA) and to farmers. “Off-road diesel (GNR) has become far too expensive. We are at €1.70 per liter against €0.80 previously, explained Freddy Preel, the regional delegate of EDT Normandy. We have to pass on the price to the farmers and it will be felt on our plates. »
At 9:30 am, the demonstrators took the direction of Villers-Bocage.
Also read. REPORT. Fuel prices: in Vire, the agricultural world has never experienced such a situation
Gathering in Villers-Bocage
The Vire convoy found the Villers-Bocage demonstrators. Étienne, a farmer located between Vire and Jurques, explains why he is mobilizing: “Our business is in decline. Many of us can no longer live from their exploitation. Survives, agriculture suffers. Everything is increasing: fuels, charges, taxes… It can’t go on! What does the government do ? This is why we are protesting. »
At around 11 a.m., one could read on the EDT Normandie Facebook page : “25 pieces of equipment on their way to the Caen ring road. »
About fifty people in Bayeux
Similar scenario at the E.Leclerc center in Bayeux, where six tractors were grouped together from 9:30 a.m. Several agricultural work companies in the center of the Channel are also taking part in the movement with their cars. In total, about fifty people were expected (tractors and cars combined).
The procession left Bayeux around 10:15 a.m. A snail operation was planned on the dual carriageway as far as Rots, at the entrance to Caen, before finding the convoy coming from Vire and Villers-Bocage.
In the parking lot this Thursday morning, the mobilized people said to themselves “taken by the throat by the GNR tariffs which increase every two hours”.
Sébastien Debieu also wanted to be a mobilizer. This former Secretary General of the FDSEA (Departmental Federation of Farmers’ Unions) “is not there as an activist, just as a peasant”. He was one of the only farmers present this morning in Bayeux.
At the head of a suckler cow farm with field crops in Sainte-Marguerite-d’Elle, he ensures: “If agricultural work companies pass on this increase to farmers, it will be complicated for us! And then our own tractors, they don’t run on water either ! If they get the GNR cap at €0.80, we will benefit from that too. I will be used for eight days if necessary! »
About fifteen machines at Falaise
Still tractors, still in front of an E.Leclerc center gas station, but it’s in Falaise that it’s happening this time. About twenty people were gathered this Thursday morning. In total, about fifteen machines were used around 9:30 a.m. and reinforcements were also planned. Patrice Gauquelin, president of EDT Normandie was present.
The Falaisien convoy left around 10:30 a.m. towards the Ifs roundabout, taking the N158. He was accompanied by two motorcycles and a police vehicle.
The tractors had been ordered to drive only in the right lane.