The Alinéa cooperative (240 producers) and its marketing subsidiary, Top Alliance, are kicking off the garlic campaign. Céline Vezian, head of the cooperative's quality and technical department, discusses the first aspects of harvesting and marketing.
The Alinéa cooperative whose headquarters and logistics platform are based in Beaumont de Lomagne (Tarn et Garonne), also has production sites in Lautrec (Tarn) for pink garlic and certified seeds, and in Lectoure (Gers).
Pink and white garlic: "We suspect there will be brownish discolouration of the outer skins"
It is still too early to forecast volumes, but pink garlic yields seem to be better than last year while problems such as excess water have clearly affected the garlic crops. "Because of the excessive rainfall throughout June, we think that there will be some brownish discolouration of the outer skins this year," explains Céline Vezian. While this discolouration "does not alter the intrinsic quality of the garlic," it does create some difficulty in terms of marketing. The situation varies greatly depending on the production area and the grower, with some starting their harvest earlier than others. "It remains to be seen what will happen in terms of conservation, since the drying stage is still underway. As for the presence of Fusarium or Waxy Breakdown, we will also have to wait and see."
The market is clear
The marketing of organic and purple garlic began this week. The white and pink garlic is currently at the end of the drying process and should reach supermarket shelves next week. The French garlic market looks promising for the start of the campaign. "The Argentinian campaign is over, since the season started earlier this year, and Spain had no more garlic in stock either. We therefore have a market that is clear for the arrival of the new French harvest." This new harvest will also be heterogeneous in terms of size. "We think that pink garlic sizes will be stronger than last year, while white garlic seems to be heading for medium calibres."
For more information:
Alinéa - Top'Alliance
ZA de Bordevielle
82 500 Beaumont de Lomagne
Phone: +33 5 63 26 28 00
www.topalliance.com