At EARL Les Chambres, based in the Drôme department, the tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, and other produce grown in a 3,000m² greenhouse have given way to clementines, pomelos, oranges, and avocados. Anthony Oboussier, head of the French company, talks about the reasons for this change and the prospects for this new experiment.
Finding another crop that can be harvested between November and February
Until the beginning of 2024, Anthony Oboussier produced strawberries and early potatoes in the spring, ratatouille vegetables in the summer (with no fewer than 10 varieties of heirloom tomatoes), cucumbers, green beans, and leafy vegetables in the autumn/winter (lettuce, lamb's lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard). However, production and scheduling difficulties forced him to stop. "Over time, it became far too time-consuming and exhausting to combine work in the greenhouses with that in the orchards, especially as the teams had to be multiplied while labor was very difficult to find. I also felt that producing quality vegetables was becoming an illusion," explains Anthony, who opted for biocontrol (trapping, releasing beneficial insects, and mating disruption). "The results in the 3rd year of activity, despite the increase in doses, were not very conclusive, with a lot of discrepancies and therefore a lot of waste in the different species." Following this decision, he turned to other crops. "I had to find a crop that could be grown under glass, but also one that fitted my calendar. The April to September period was very busy, but citrus fruit and avocados are harvested between November and February."
Pomelo plant (left) and Clementine plant (right). Anthony Oboussier bought his citrus and avocado plants from Pépinières Vessières in Pyrénées-Orientales. Thanks to a partnership between the nursery and the Chamber of Agriculture, Anthony was able to take advantage of an on-site training day.
"I will choose the crop that seems best suited to me"
Following "very satisfactory" soil analyses, 40 clementines, 20 orange, 20 pomelo, and 40 avocado trees will join the farm's stone fruit (cherry 0.7 ha, apricot 5 ha, peach nectarine 16 ha) and kiwi (1.3 red and 0.7 yellow) crops in March 2024 (planting date). "These are crops that may seem surprising in this part of France," admits Anthony, but they will "do very well in the climate of northern Drôme." Eventually, the farmer will choose the most appropriate crop. For the time being, the focus is on observation: tree development, fruit set... "This is an experiment, intending to expand into a new 5,000 m² greenhouse, for which I will choose the crop I think is best suited. The aim is to produce on a larger scale in order to be able to supply more volume."
Right: orange tree
Promising results
While citrus trees take 3 years to bear fruit, avocados take an average of 5 years and seem to be doing very well in terms of both production and marketing. "I chose the Hass and Fuerte varieties because you need 2 varieties (group A and B) for pollination and fruit set. The Hass is the most common variety and the most widely consumed, with good production capacity, good yields, good sizes, and good eating quality (for group A). The Fuerte was chosen for its eating quality, size, and agronomy. It is also the most advantageous to plant from group B." Although we will have to wait a few more years before we know for sure, Anthony is already seeing some convincing results. "We are clearly looking at avocados! The growth has been very good since planting, and the advantage with this fruit is that as soon as it reaches its size on the tree, ripening stops and the fruit can be kept for 4 to 6 weeks before being harvested. This means that it can be harvested on demand."
Initially, Anthony Oboussier intends to sell his fruit to operators with whom he already works, but he plans to further develop his offer later on to the region's farm shops, produce retailers, and supermarkets.
Photo: EARL Les Chambres
For more information:
Anthony Oboussier
EARL Les Chambres
Phone: +33(0)6 75 85 59 51
espritfruite@gmail.com