The harvest of Cévennes sweet onions began in July. Last year, there was a water shortage, but this year, the issue has been excessive rainfall. Despite this, the market outlook remains positive. Carl Grandidier, sales manager at the Origine Cévennes cooperative, provides an update at the start of the season. 
"We'll be at full capacity by the end of next week"
Last year, the Origine Cévennes cooperative had a successful season despite water restrictions. This year, however, the weather has caused a slight delay in the start of marketing. "Last year, we had a water shortage, but this year, there's been too much," explains Carl Grandidier. "Some producers are still drying their onions because the harvest is running late, so we expect to be at full capacity by the end of next week. Some started harvesting at the end of July, while others haven't finished yet because April's planting was delayed due to the rain." 
Regarding the volumes delivered to the cooperative, producer forecasts indicate they should be nearly identical to last year, "between 1,900 and 2,000 tonnes." There are no health concerns regarding quality, but the excessive water has caused some damage to the onion skins due to worms being brought to the surface. Normally, watering stops 10 days before harvest to allow the onions to dry, but this year's continuous rain delayed that process. 
"The Cévennes sweet onion is always eagerly awaited"
The Cévennes sweet onion is set for another successful year on the market. "The market is strong, and sales are going very well. It's a niche product that is eagerly awaited each year." However, there's a slight difference this year in the size of the onions. "We're seeing slightly smaller sizes compared to the previous harvest, so smaller onions will be on the shelves this year." But again, there's no concern, according to Carl Grandidier. "It's not an issue for our customers; we just need to adjust our strategy by offering smaller sizes in bulk while keeping the 7/8 sizes for the smooth trays."
For more information:
Carl Grandidier
Origine Cévennes
Route de Valleraugue
30570 St-André-de-Majencoules
Tel: +33 4 67 82 50 64
Cell: +33 6 79 29 49 11
[email protected]
www.oign on-doux-des-cevennes.fr