Evolution des surfaces fourragères en France de 1988 à 1997. Analyse de l'impact de la prime au maintien des systèmes d'élevage extensifs

The premium for the maintenance of extensive farming systems (PMSEE) was instituted en 1993, at a time when there was a strong decrease in the areas under grass ; the aim was to limit the trend towards forage intensification. The changes in the areas devoted to forages (at the French national level and in eight zones chosen as samples) from 1988 to 1997 were analysed, as this period coincided with the reform of the CAP and the implementation of the PMSEE, in order to assess the impact of this measure.A reduction of the areas under grass was confirmed for that period, although a significant slowing down occurred from 1993 onwards, and even sometimes a stabilization. There were also differences among regions : whereas intensification seemed to make still headway in those regions where the natural constraints were moderate (progress of forage maize, regress of pastures, lands set free taken over by rather intensive farms), some signs appeared in other regions, with strong natural constraints, that were in conformity with the aims of the PMSEE (maintenance of the areas under grass, stagnation of the covers with rapid turnover, relative decline of the rather intensive farms, lands set free taken over by extensive farms). / Les évolutions de 1988 à 1997 des principales surfaces fourragères sont analysées au niveau national et pour 8 zones échantillon. La diminution des surfaces en herbe est confirmée pour cette période, mais son ralentissement est significatif à partir de 1993, date d'instauration de la PMSEE. Le mouvement d'intensification semble se poursuivre dans les régions à contraintes naturelles modérées (progression du maïs fourrage, déclin des surfaces en herbe, reprise des terres libérées par des exploitations plutôt intensives) alors que des signes conformes aux objectifs de la PMSEE se manifestent dans les régions à contraintes naturelles fortes (maintien des surfaces en herbe, stagnation des couverts à rotation rapide, déclin relatif des exploitations plutôt intensives, reprise des terres libérées par des exploitations extensives).