The union condemned “growing despair in the vineyards”, at a time when the latest harvest was badly affected by the heatwave.
Harvest has now finished across France, and for the second year in a row, harvests are historically low. It was in this context that 6,000 winegrowers paraded in Béziers (Hérault) on Saturday afternoon, during a massive demonstration.
All responded to calls from the wine unions – FDSEA 34, Young Farmers, Aude Grape Growers Union, Occitanie Grape Growers and Independent Grape Growers – to denounce the “unprecedented crisis” in the wine world.
In Béziers this Saturday, a large security system was deployed by the prefect of Hérault, François-Xavier Lauch, who will receive a delegation of grape growers early in the afternoon, before the departure of the procession, according to information from the regional daily Midi Libre.
In a joint press release from FDSEA Hérault, the union warned of “falling prices, exploding costs and unsustainable regulatory constraints” weighing on manufacturers. And underscored “growing desperation in the agricultural sector”.
The harvest was as weak as last year
“There are many people who are thinking about changing jobs”, who say that they earn “500 euros per month” at the moment, a mobilized grape farmer testified at RMC this Saturday morning.
Figures published by the Ministry of Agriculture confirm this difficult year. On November 1, 2025, grape production is expected to reach 36.2 million hectoliters, the same volume as the – already low – volume in 2024. But also 16% lower than the average harvest in 2020 to 2024.
“A heat wave and drought in August reduced production potential, drying out grain while accelerating the ripening of grapes, thereby speeding up the harvest date,” the ministry report detailed. Only AOP wine production will increase in one year (+ 9%), but it will still fall by 8% compared to the average over the last five years.
