Strictly monitored harvests encountered: vineyard owners grapple with grape theft issues
In the heart of France's Champagne region, a surprising challenge has emerged - grape thefts. The Épernay company (Marne) is one of the units involved in the gendarmerie's efforts to combat this issue.
The French gendarmerie has increased its presence in Champagne, with 140 gendarmes monitoring an expansive area of 35,000 hectares. Six cavalrymen from the Republican Guard are patrolling the vineyards, adding an extra layer of security.
The thefts in Champagne are not the work of amateurs. According to Lefèvre, the precision of the grape removal suggests that these are professional thieves at work.
Unfortunately, not all winegrowers are insured, leaving them vulnerable to financial loss from such thefts. Some winegrowers have taken matters into their own hands, organizing patrols to monitor their vineyards due to the increase in thefts.
Testimonies of such thefts are multiplying across France on social media, with Tiktoker Viti.Ben sharing a video of a winegrower after a theft, stating "We were robbed, 3 hours of harvest." Vincent Latour, a winegrower, found his vineyard devoid of grapes, leaving a year's work stolen. Latour recounts his astonishment at finding nothing in his vineyard.
Thefts of grapes are not uncommon and are far from anecdotal. In Meursault, Côte-d'Or, the promising harvest was left unharvested, with no grapes found. Christophe Lefèvre in Champagne experienced a theft of 300 kilos of grapes, estimated to be a loss of 1,500 euros.
Chef d'escadron Rémi Dubois, commander of the Épernay company (Marne), stated that the gendarmerie is present during the day near workers and at night while patrolling the territory. Reinforced surveillance measures are being considered to combat the increasing issue of grape thefts.
Organized thefts of grapes are a concern for winegrowers, and the gendarmerie in Champagne is taking action throughout the entire harvest chronology. The hope is that these efforts will help protect the hard work and livelihoods of the region's winegrowers.
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