Sometimes coincidences make history, and events fall at just the right moment. This 89th Libramont Fair, bathed in mild and pleasant weather, welcomed nearly 195,000 visitors over four days.
This popular event across Belgium celebrates farmers' passion and talent, fosters connections, introduces the wider public to farming, and also stands as an unmissable political occasion.
On Friday morning, the Fair opened its doors in a solemn atmosphere. The official opening, followed by a tour of the union stands, already set the tone: behind the smiles, worry loomed. A cut budget for the future CAP (Common Agricultural Policy), the Mercosur agreement, increasingly expensive land, uncertain generational renewal… The storm is never far from the sunshine.
A few days earlier, the European Commission had unveiled the first outlines of what the CAP 2028-2034 could look like. The shock is severe: a budget cut of around 20%, a dilution of agricultural funds into a broader mechanism, and more room for negotiation by member state. In short: less solidarity, more competition between states.
For the first time in the Fair's history, the six Walloon farming unions united in a joint action right after the official opening. There, they denounced the reform project currently being pursued by the European Commission and the announced budget cuts.
A European front to be rebuilt
European agriculture is at a crossroads. 50% of farmers are over 55, while barely 12% are under 40. Access to land and equipment is becoming unaffordable. The cut to the CAP budget is severe. It sends a very bad signal for our strategic autonomy, for generational renewal, and for the climate challenges we face every day.
On this point, Wallonia's position is clear: the CAP budget must be strengthened, not weakened. A message carried from stand to stand, conference to conference, by the Walloon Minister for Agriculture, Anne-Catherine Dalcq: “My role today is to stand united with you. To take, wherever necessary, a firm, clear-eyed, demanding stance. Because a strong CAP is not a luxury. It is a necessity. I am fighting for: keeping the measures that work, less administrative burden, support for young farmers, a realistic environmental ambition, and solid support for strategic sectors.”
And since the sector needs reforms and action rather than long speeches, Anne-Catherine Dalcq invited European Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen to come and meet farmers at the Libramont Fair. A powerful gesture. A symbol. Noted by the Commissioner himself.
During a meeting on the 5th floor of the LEC, overlooking the Fair, the unions spoke with the Commissioner and Minister Dalcq. The Luxembourg Commissioner tried to reassure them: what is being discussed today, such as the 20% CAP cut, is still only “a first proposal on the multiannual budget”. He added: “This is the start of a discussion, and we need to work on this package with the ministers and expert MPs”. According to him, the €300 billion envelope remains “ring-fenced” for what goes directly to farms. First-pillar aid and second-pillar agri-environmental measures would thus be preserved. “These amounts are handcuffed,” he stressed. The funds that could potentially be reallocated mainly concern rural infrastructure.
The MR, a clear and firmly held line
It was in this context that the MR President, Georges-Louis Bouchez, visited the Libramont Fair on Monday. He spoke with numerous people and walked through the aisles in an atmosphere of frank dialogue. The MR's presence in Libramont was both visible and consistent with its political line.
“Our farmers are essential to our lives. They deserve better than the mistakes made in industry,” declared Georges-Louis Bouchez. The Mouvement Réformateur stands by a clear position: defending food autonomy, protecting farmers' income, and supporting a realistic, funded transition that respects conditions on the ground.
“In Brussels as in Libramont, we say the same thing. This isn't populism, it's respect,” stressed the President, also praising the commitment and work of Minister Dalcq.
Between meetings with exhibitors or visitors, the Minister doesn't let up. Present in every aisle, smiling but determined, she engages repeatedly in direct exchanges with farmers. For some, she remains “one of their own”, the one who, only two years ago, carried the voice of young farmers on tractors. This closeness fuels an even stronger political message: “Today I'm fighting wearing a different hat, but with the same conviction.” And the fight is clear: maintaining a CAP budget equal to the challenges, rejecting its disguised renationalisation, and defending a family-based, sustainable farming sector rooted in local areas.
Farming succession under threat
The other issue running through the Fair, more discreet but just as essential, is farm succession. Indeed, in Wallonia, more than half of farmers are over 55. Within 10 to 15 years, 8,000 farms in the region will need new owners. Yet only 20% have an identified successor.
It's a chilling figure. And an alarm bell that neither the unions nor Anne-Catherine Dalcq are ignoring. The Walloon Minister for Agriculture is aware of this: “Succession can't be decreed. It must be supported, it must be prepared. We need to remove the human, social and financial obstacles.”
She is working on a reform of tenancy law, to make it more attractive and encourage transfers outside the family circle. She doesn't rule out specific incentives for succession, but refuses to make empty promises.
Libramont 2025 will above all have been a breath of fresh air. That of a sector wanting to believe in the future. That of a Minister and a party President who speak honestly. That of a farming project to be defended together.