Activity in the Plants du Bocage, which was set up in 1961, is in full swing. By next Spring some 5,500 tons of potatoes will have been sorted, dried, calibrated and sent all over France and abroad.
36 producers are grouped together under a cooperative and share 200 hectares, of which 130 hectares is around Epesse. “Our core business is potato plants. The consumption side only represents 15% of our activity”, explains Nicolas Picard, Head of the Plants du Bocage.
Once the potatoes arrive they are sorted then dried for 8 to 10 days before being mechanically and then manually calibrated. Once the potatoes have fallen through a grill to determine their size, the potatoes destined for planting are stored at 3 or 4 degrees for a month which allows them to decrease starch levels and increase the glucose for a better taste.
Once they have been cooled, one third are exported, another third are sent to garden wholesalers all over France and the remaining third is sent to plant trading companies. “We have just created a brand of potatoes for consumption, the Belle de Vendée, free of preservatives,” announces Nicolas Picard.