During the Tomato Conference in Antwerp mid-April, Marie Dérédec of Prince de Bretagne gave a presentation on the tomato production in France. In 2015 the country produced over 600,000 tonnes of tomatoes. “Thirty-six per cent of national tomato production comes from the Brittany region. Thirty per cent comes from the Southwest. Almost ninety per cent of production in France is meant for national consumption. French consumers consider it important that products come from their own country.”
Cooperatives
Prince de Bretagne is not the only cooperative in France. “We are one of the largest growers associations providing tomatoes with an area of 190 hectare and with 103 associated producers. Other well-known French cooperatives that supply tomatoes are Savéol with an area of 200 hectare and with 87 associated growers, Rougeline with 165 hectare and 90 growers, and Océane with 106 hectare and 35 growers.”
Marie Dérédec of Prince de Bretagne.
Segments
From 2016 the designation in tomato segments has changed. Vine tomatoes are most widely produced. About 40 to 50 per cent of total tomato production consists of vine tomatoes. Loose, round tomatoes have a share of about 25 per cent, and cherry and cocktail tomatoes about 10 per cent. In addition, there is a small share of special elongated, old-fashioned and/or coloured tomatoes.
The tomato area in France has remained fairly stable in recent years, but shifts are visible within the separate cultivation regions. For example, production in the Southwest is increasing, and cultivation there is increasingly taking place in greenhouses. In the coming years French growers will look for answers for the market, which is looking for flavourful varieties.