Shepherd faces loss from flooded land

Louis Maréchal, a shepherd with ten years of experience in outdoor farming, has suffered a major setback after a local stream, the Braune, overflowed and damaged his land. The rising water covered two of his ten hectares, where his flock was grazing, leading to significant losses.

Lambing season hit by disaster

Maréchal discovered the damage early Tuesday morning while walking to his farm, finding many lambs missing and dead lambs at the foot of the fence. He estimates losing 70 of the 250 lambs born, which he described as a critical time for sheep farming during the lambing season.

Drought and flooding create challenges

Maréchal explained that he took all precautions, noting the ewes were on the land to feed and nurse their young. He mentioned that a recent drought has made it difficult to provide enough grass, such as alfalfa, for the animals. This was the first time he had experienced such an event with his 800 ewes spread across several flocks in nearby communes.

Insurance does not cover outdoor incident

When Maréchal contacted his insurance, he faced another setback as the claim was denied, labeled an outdoor incident under his contract. The estimated dry loss is nearly 10,500 euros, or 150 euros per lamb. He added that the declining purchase price of sheep has worsened the situation for farmers during an ongoing agricultural crisis.

Seeking disaster classification for aid

Maréchal is asking public authorities to classify the event as a natural disaster to obtain support. He said he is already in a deficit and will need to take a consumer loan to finish the year, stressing the need for state assistance. The mayor of La Rouvière, Patrick de Gonzaga, said they will prepare a file for the prefecture to request this recognition and compensation from the state.

Aid depends on CAP classification

This recognition would aim to request a derogation for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Maréchal explained that aid is based on the number of declared ewes, their production, and their sales. With such a decline, he risks losing these aids, adding to his financial difficulties.