The Board of Directors of IRRIGANTS de France, which met in Paris on 8th March 2016, has elected Eric Frétillère (Dordogne) as its Chairman.
Eric Frétillère operates an irrigation system on the 100 ha farm he has run in the Dordogne region for 17 years. He is married with two children and grows maize on his farm.
Aged 55 years, Eric Frétillère is actively involved in local trade union, economic and political associations. In particular he is director of the La Périgourdine co-operative, President of the Association of Irrigation Operators and the Single Collective Management Body of the Dordogne region and Treasurer of the DFSEA - French Farmers’ Union (24).
At national level, Éric Frétillère is on the committee of the French Maize Producers Association (AGPM). A Director of IRRIGANTS de France since 2011, he was elected as Assistant General Secretary in 2015.
The Board of Directors of IRRIGANTS de France has paid tribute to the commitment shown by Daniel Martin in the course of his 13 years of presidency, particularly on the issue of water and irrigation management. Daniel Martin knew how to make his skills and expertise available to all irrigation professionals with a view to promote an ambitious and well-proportioned water policy in France.
Freshly elected, Eric Frétillère outlined the approach that he intends to follow: “In the light of the predicted climate changes, there are very significant challenges that we have to overcome in the area of water and irrigation management. There is an urgent need to implement pragmatic measures, reconciling the protection of aquatic environments, the competitiveness of the farms and agricultural sector in general and public acceptance. IRRIGANTS de France will play a key role in this respect.”
