France is one of the traditional and largest wine production centers in the world, however, local winemakers have suffered significantly in recent years from a range of negative factors. Therefore, they are forced to uproot grapevines in their own vineyards, as reported by agronews.ua.
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France will allocate 130 million euros (150 million US dollars) to help farmers uproot more vineyards. This sector of the economy of one of the world’s leading wine producers has been severely affected by climate change, weak global demand, and trade wars.
The government is allocating funds to finance a new permanent grape removal plan, announced the Minister of Agriculture, Annick Girardin, in her statement. Other measures include the extension of structural loans until the end of 2026 and the reduction of some social expenses.
World wine consumption is decreasing as changes in alcohol consumption patterns, unfavorable economic conditions, and tariff wars harm producers worldwide. France has lowered its wine production estimate for this year below the historically low level of 2024 after heatwaves and wildfires affected vineyards.
Additionally, Girardin has also appealed to the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, to mobilize crisis reserves to finance the distillation of unsold excess stocks that can be used for perfumes, disinfectant gels, and ethanol.
According to Girardin, red wine consumption in France has suffered as geopolitical tensions have restricted exports to major markets in the US and China. The country has about 11% of the world’s vineyards.