The French Department of Agriculture has issued details of the French grubbing scheme.
The statement reads: 'The European Commission has authorised France to pay national aid of €74.5 million over a period of four years to producers of apples, peaches and nectarines. The aid is intended to speed up the necessary adaptation of the French fruit market to the demands both of trade and consumers by improving the quality of French produce and reducing overall fruit production.
'The aid will be granted for the grubbing up of orchards, the renewal of varieties and a reduction in arboriculture. The aid proposed by France is intended to finance a plan reducing capacity by grubbing up of all or part of the orchards present on holdings. This reduction should involve some 6,000 hectares growing apples and 2,500ha growing peaches and nectarines. This represents more than 10 per cent of the French produce in question.
'The aid will be €5,335 per hectare grubbed up. The total amount forecast is €45.7 million: a programme of aid to investment in the grubbing up of apple, peach and nectarine orchards which will subsequently be replanted and rejuvenated. The programme is intended to promote a radical change in production towards certified and improved varieties, which better meet consumer expectations.
'The aid will be €8,384 per hecatre for apple trees and €6,097 per hectare for peach trees. The total amount forecast is €28.8m.
'The European Commission considers that the aid is intended to adapt the sector to the demands of trade and consumers and improve the quality of French produce. Its view is that these objectives are consistent with those of the fruit and vegetable regime, which advocates the rationalisation of production and an improvement of quality.'
