“Everyone wants strawberries”

Two years ago, the strawberry campaign was particularly early, with the first fruits harvested at the end of February. This year, it is the opposite: the campaign has only just begun. "We started the campaign on April 1st. For Easter, we had our very first parcels, but the volumes were insignificant. Today, we are in the early stages of the campaign, even if the volumes are still low. We have started with the Gariguette variety and our first round strawberries. This year, we are expecting approximately 35 tons. Then, it will all depend on the weather, which will be the determining factor."

Production hampered by wide variations in temperature
Temperatures can reach 24 degrees during the day in the southwest of France, but the nights remain cool. "It was 7 degrees in the morning last week, which is a big temperature difference for production. There was a significant lack of sunshine this winter. We had a very good, very dry summer but since October 1st, it has been raining constantly, hence the delay in the campaign."

Volumes should increase in late April/early May
Strawberries have arrived late this year, with consumers eagerly awaiting them. "Spring is here and people are tired of eating apples, kiwis and oranges. They are ready for something else. Everyone is asking us for strawberries, and we can sense that the product is eagerly awaited. But not all our growers have started harvesting, and we are now waiting for the sun to set and volumes to pick up, which we hope will happen in mid-April."

The organic market picks up again
Besides strawberries, Biogaronne is currently offering white asparagus, white onion bunches and for the first time this year, early peas grown locally in the Lot-et-Garonne region, whose harvest has just begun. The organic market seems to be picking up again. "2023 was not a bad year, but the start of 2024 is looking very good. After the difficult times that the organic sector has experienced, leading to the closures of many stores, the end of some productions and conversions to conventional productions, the market is more balanced once again."