ed by a group of cooperatives, Les Paysans de Rougeline grows and markets their own vegetables in the South of France. Though they grow a variety of products in their greenhouse facilities, their tomatoes are the product for which they are best known.“We are 160 producers growing on 280 acres of greenhouses,” said Maxime Laclaverie. “We grow 70,000 tons of vegetables and 60,000 tomatoes a year.” He added that there's a lot of segmentation when it comes to their tomatoes, but their best-seller has consistently been their tomato on the vine. He attributes the popularity of their tomatoes to their growing climate, connections to growers and their methods to make tasty vegetables.
“The advantage of our climate is that we have a good light and quite good temperatures,” said Mr Laclaverie. “We can get our product out earlier in the season.” The timing of their harvest has traditionally given them an edge, but he noted that Moroccan growers have been extending their season, and that steady creep has made for increased competition. But despite that increased competition, he noted that their tomatoes continue to enjoy popularity in France and throughout Europe, and a good part of that is because of the brand they've cultivated and also a communication which makes sense to consumers.
“Our brand is a way to link our product to the land,” said Mr Laclaverie. “We put the producers on the label to make that link between the land, the country, the product and the consumer.”
For more information:
Ma
xime LaclaverieRougeline
Tel: +33 (0)5 53 20 51 65
Mob: +33 (0)6 42 90 81 14
m.laclaverie@rougeline.com
www.rougeline.com