In the Pyrénées-Orientale, there has been a new-found interest in cucumbers over the last few years. There are 40 or so hectares of production in the department, of which 15 ha are under the group Saveur des Clos-Plaine du Roussillon.
"We produce 4,000 tons over 22-25 ha crops, depending on the years’’ explains Fabienne Lamy, Technical Manager of the structure. On Christian Pomes farm where he has 1.5 ha of glass greenhouses and 4,000m2 of strawberry tunnels, he is growing cucumbers in the old constructions from 1980. Other producers are using cucumbers to rotate between salads in cold outdoor shelters. Some are even replacing salad completely with cucumbers, notably 4th range salad which is less profitable for producers.