Primland celebrated its 40th anniversary at the Fruit Logistica last week. The story of Primland began in 1977 in South West France with the creation of the GIE (Groupement d'intérêt économique - Economic interest grouping) of producers called “Kiwifruits De France”. This initiative was aimed at organising both production and marketing. The first harvest size totalled 10 tonnes in 1977, before reaching 80 tonnes in 1979.
Landmark moments
- In the 1970s, New Zealand kiwi fruits were first sold in the USA, the UK (mainly London) and then in Germany. Some French plantations were created in the Dordogne region, in Landes, Corsica and South East France.
- The first kiwi fruits were sold in 1970.
- In 1977, pioneering farmers created a GIE in order to pool marketing resources and most importantly, to stock their fruit. This spirit of diversification quickly brought around twenty new producers together.
- In 1979, François LAFITTE met Guy POYLECOT while working on his plantation project. The two men found that they shared the same vision and worked together to found the GIE and organise its activity.
- The GIE transformed into a cooperative and established its place within the local economic landscape.
- To ensure the project's longevity, the GIE developed into a cooperative form in 1982. The SCAP KIWIFRUITS de France laid the foundations for both its main solidarity-based principles and its organisation (such as providing technical advice to producers). In 2017, these values continue to have an influence on the daily reality of all the teams within the group of companies formed by SCAAP KIWIFRUITS DE FRANCE and PRIMLAND.
Henri Dascon
Primland
Tel : +33 (0)5 5890 0995
Mob : +33 (0)7 8606 7488