Traditional bulb shallot producers are suffering from competition from seed products. Their representatives are back from Brussels, where the Commission is looking into a review of varieties.
Following the demonstration at the beginning of January in the Finistère region when 300 traditional shallot producers dumped 3,000 tons of produce on the RN12 in protest against competition from seed shallots, the sector is now back from Brussels. At the end of last week they met with representatives from the Commission and European Parliamentarians. “The welcome was good, they understood that a problem existed in the inclusion of different varieties, taking into account the confusion between traditional shallots and those from Dutch seeds”, indicated Hubert Le Nan, President of the national sector of traditional shallot producers. They are demanding clarification on the European regulations and the removal of “fake shallots”. A speciality of French cuisine, the classic shallot's flavour is not as strong as the onion's and can be prepared raw. It is planted from bulbs. Those from seeds have a shape more like a small onion and come from research made by Dutch company, De Groot, who went through a long struggle with the State Council and European authorities in order for their product to be recognised in 2005.
Emergency aid
The problem is that the French consumers do not see the difference, even though production prices are very different. 80% of the 40,000 tons of traditionally farmed shallots harvested each year in France come from the North of the Finistère. “Their cost price is between 40-50 cents a kilo. Currently, we are selling them at 6 cents”, continues Hubert Le Nan. The 4,000 producers are taking the brunt of the Dutch competition. “For shallots from seeds, one must count one hour of manual labour per hectare. For bulbs, 100 hours are needed for the same area”, he continues. The result is that seed growing areas, mainly in the Beauce, are strongly increasing. Production has gone over a few years from 3,000 tons to 12,000 tons. Public authorities were made aware many years ago so that they could sort out the Community Plant Variety Office’s regulations, who are in charge of defining the characteristics of different products. According to Hubert Le Nan, “nothing is clear, nothing is moving”. The French State has asked for the subject to be put on the agenda at the European Commissions next Permanent Plant Committee, planned for the end of January. Whilst waiting for European decisions to be made, the Breton producers are demanding emergency aid: “We are afraid not only for the current season, but also for the next one”, says Hubert Le Nan.