Several hundred farmers blocked the course at Bastia and Ajaccio on 24 September 2026, using tractors, burning tires and concrete blocks to press for state aid after drought damage. Jean-Baptiste Arena stood with the protesters and said they wanted to secure something for their youth.
The mobilization also blocked eight schools, colleges and lycées. The farmers targeted an envelope of 1.3 million euros for Corsican operators, which they judged largely insufficient while they demanded a meeting with the minister of agriculture and faster support for drought losses.
Jean-Baptiste Arena à Bastia
Arena, president of the chambre d'agriculture, said: “On veut aujourd'hui pérenniser quelque chose pour notre jeunesse”. His presence with the protesters gave the movement a public face as the blockades were organized at Bastia and Ajaccio and at the entrances to the ports.
After several hours of closure, the port of commerce of Bastia was unblocked on Thursday evening, and Corse Matin said the blockades at the entrances to the ports of Ajaccio and Bastia were lifted. The reopening followed a meeting with the prefect and ended the immediate port shutdown that had disrupted access on both sites.
Préfecture de Corse et revue
The prefect of Corse and the prefect of the Haute-Corse said the emergency plan deployed by the authorities would be reviewed. After that meeting, a session was set with the cabinet of the minister of Agriculture for 30 September, giving the farmers a formal channel to press their demands.
At the same time, the response remained disputed. FDSEA, Jeunes Agriculteurs and coordination rurale said in a joint statement on Thursday evening: “Si les réponses ne sont pas à la hauteur, nous sommes prêts à durcir les mobilisations!”
Annie Genevard et octobre
According to Annie Genevard, farmers would see the first aid payments arrive on their bank accounts from the beginning of October. The review matters because the first envelope is fixed at 1.3 million euros for Corsican operators, while the national aid plan would probably be greater than 1.3 billion euros.
The practical issue for Corsican farmers is whether the review changes the size or the criteria of the aid before those first payments land. For now, the immediate pressure point is the promised meeting on 30 September and the gap between what the farmers asked for and what the authorities have already put on the table.
