Despite the recent rainy spells that have made harvesting more difficult, the carrot season is progressing normally. "We are satisfied with the quality of the carrots, with good uniformity in size. Yields are also fairly good, although lower in recent weeks due to the increasingly complex weather conditions. Still, our teams have managed to supply the packaging lines," explains Patrick Larrère of Fermes Larrère.
The Fermes Larrère team at Fruit Attraction
New technology to meet the challenges of production
Faced with increasingly extreme climate conditions and diminishing chemical protection, "we have to be more competent. We are making increasing use of new technology to meet the challenges faced in production, such as laser weeding, a particularly interesting tool in organic farming. Although we will have to wait until all the plots are harvested before making a definitive assessment, we are pretty satisfied so far with the results of our first campaign. It is a very heavy investment, but it has enabled us to reduce hand weeding, which is relatively tedious and labour-intensive work."
Carrots, a vegetable all the more popular in times of economic crisis
As far as consumption is concerned, in an inflationary context that has been affecting many fruits and vegetables, carrots seem to be doing rather well. "They are the cheapest vegetable on the shelves, with a fairly stable market. As for organic carrots, the market remains complicated, even if we can feel that it has somewhat stabilized and that supply is more in line with the demand."
A third way offer that still needs convincing
In addition to the organic and conventional supply, Fermes Larrère offers carrots with the Zero Pesticide Residue (ZPR) label. A third way that seems to be meeting the expectations of consumers who, while not fervent supporters of organic farming, are still attentive to the way vegetables are produced. "It is a highly virtuous approach because it is supported by a collective (Collectif Nouveaux Champs), which enables us to think about the solutions we need to put in place to deal with the problems we may encounter. It is a particularly interesting and rich opportunity for producers to share ideas. However, not all distributors are willing to commit to the approach. Many have not yet identified the benefits of offering ZPR products. However, we remain positive, because we know that it is only a matter of time."
Fruit Attraction
Fermes Larrère is currently present at Fruit Attraction (Booth 6A02A). "We want to meet our French and foreign clients, as well as our Portuguese and Spanish partners. This year, we plan to take stock of certain branded products, such as Choudou, which we are continuing to roll out, Bimi broccoli, which we are introducing, and sweet potatoes from France, which we now offer all year round."
For more information:
Patrick Larrere
Fermes Larèrre
Domaine du Douc
40410 Liposthey
Phone: +33 5 58 82 39 64
Fax: +33 5 58 82 39 98
[email protected]