The Fuchs have been farmers in Saint-Fort-sur-Gironde for five generations, with 18 hectares of vines out of the 36 hectares declared PAC (Common Agricultural Policy). A line that risks faltering if Christophe Fuch does not manage to get out of a situation that could be described as grotesque if it were not dramatic.
He had to call on a service provider to sulfate the vines, but the latter had a material problem and the winegrower found himself with 10.60 ha of diseased vines and, instead of 850 hectoliters of the usual harvest, he found himself with 54 hectoliters, representing a loss of cash which he estimates at an amount of 80,000 to 90,000 euros. The service provider acknowledges being the cause of the loss and contacts his insurance. This is where the problems begin.
The service provider’s insurance requires an expert from the winegrower’s insurance to come and assess the damage. She refuses and Christophe Fuch says he then realizes that multi-risk insurance – compulsory for farmers – no longer appears among his contracts. “I would like someone to explain to me why my insurance was taken away,” fumes Christophe Fuch, who says he has all his contracts with the same company: car, dump truck, etc.
A prize pool launched
The explanation comes from a judicial liquidation in April 2021. The winegrower appealed and it was accepted last September. After a few mishaps – their lawyer told them to continue operating and when he wanted to sell his wines, he was told that he was ceasing activity, same problem with VAT… – the agent finally handed over all files in place. “Since 2001, I have never used the insurance and even if it was me who had caused damage to others, but no, they have nothing to pay,” continues the winegrower.
The only thing he is missing is the arrival of an insurance adjuster. He has a contract with a big trading house, but cannot honor them this year. What will happen next? For now, the winegrower has launched a prize pool on the leetchi.com platform (1).
(1) www.leetchi.com/c/sauver-une-exploitation-agricole-1762240.
