Aufrufe
vor 7 Jahren

XtraBlatt issue 01-2016

  • Text
  • Krone
  • Machinery
  • Forage
  • Straw
  • Farmers
  • Agricultural
  • Menschen
  • Dairy
  • Maize
  • Contractor

TITLE THEME Krone France

TITLE THEME Krone France IN OUR OWN HAN From July 2016, Krone launched its own sales company in France under the management of Joël Foucher. XtraBlatt editorial spoke with him over the present position, future plans and the situation of farming in France. 10

DS France is recognized as the largest agricultural machinery market in Europe. Contrary to the German sales peak in the years 2011 to 2015, the French experienced sometimes-violent ups and downs – no easy environment for the launch of Krone France SAS. XtraBlatt: Monsieur Foucher, how is the French farm equipment market developing currently? Is there a recognizable trend towards improvement? Joël Foucher: I would describe the situation more as an emotional roller-coaster. 2009 to 2011 were characterized by strong falls in sales in nearly all segments of agricultural machinery. In 2012/13 there followed an upswing so vigorous that it was almost a hype. Subsequently came a downturn again. And currently we’re seeing no ground for particular optimism. After all, the French farmer also suffers extremely under the fall in prices, particularly for milk, but also for meat. The removal of the milk quota had serious consequences. XtraBlatt: Could you explain this further? Foucher: In the first place, there’s naturally the immediate consequence of many farmers sliding into financial difficulties and thus accelerating the structural change. For instance, at the beginning of 2016 we had a good 90,000 dairy farmers in France with the particularly important dairy regions definitely Brittany and Normandy. In the meantime, we have official sources in administration and politics openly admitting that they reckon with a reduction in dairy farms of up to 20 % by the end of 2020. This is a drama for France and literally a real political concern. XtraBlatt: Why haven’t we seen more strikes and blockades? After all, the French farmers were always known for their aggressive reactions … Foucher: That’s correct and, beneath the surface, things are certainly boiling-up in agriculture. However, the food 11