The new Anjou shallot is here…with a PGI! It is the only French shallot to carry the famous yellow and blue label. Last year's campaign suffered from excess water and sluggish consumption, but this year, volumes, quality, and market seem to be in line.
"Semi-dry shallots set to arrive very quickly"
Early shallots are due to hit the shelves from Monday, when the first sales will start. Highly sought-after for its flavour, the green shallot is likely to make only a short appearance this season, due to hot spells and a rather narrow temperature range between day and night. "With the hot weather this year, semi-dried shallots are likely to appear very quickly, which is not necessarily a bad thing, since field-dried shallots are stabilized and can therefore be kept for a very long time," explains Brahim El Hasnaoui, sales director at Fleuron d'Anjou. The heat could also affect certain products. "Watering will be decisive in getting through the heatwave. If there are restrictions, there could be damage to field crops."
Good yields and a fine harvest expected this year
Last year's heavy rainfall led to a drop in volumes. "We even thought we would run out of produce. The high level of mildew necessitated a lot of sorting, but the market was rather slow (sluggish consumption), and sales were less ambitious than in previous years, which meant that despite the lack of volumes, we were able to hold out throughout the campaign. The lack of volume and the relatively high prices in 2024 also put the brakes on export sales.
Conversely, everything looks great for this season. This year, "April and May were very mild months. The shallot developed well, and the absence of mildew means that we can expect very good yields and a very good harvest." The PGI Anjou shallot will be making the most of all the high points of the season: from classic salads this summer to the traditional back-to-school garlic fairs, the end-of-year festive period, and the Easter weekend.
Grown on almost 70 hectares, the PGI Anjou shallot is expected to reach its full potential this year, at 1,200 to 1,500 tons.
Anjou shallots celebrate 10 years of PGI
The Anjou shallot is the first (and so far, the only French shallot) to be certified PGI. This special status, acquired 10 years ago, sets it apart from the competition on the market. "Consumers who buy Anjou shallots want a guarantee. The labelled shallot allows traceability and certifies that it is produced within the perimeter defined in the specifications. This is all the more important as consumers scrutinize more than ever the products they buy and consume, not to mention the cases of francization that are plaguing our sector."
To celebrate this decade of certification, the Anjou shallot will be highlighted throughout the 18th edition of the Shallot Festival, to be held on July 13th in Chemellier (Maine-et-Loire). Entertainment and tastings are on the agenda.
For more information:
Brahim El Hasnaoui
Fleuron d'Anjou
Phone: +33(0) 241 530 480
Fax: +33(0) 241 536 712
fleurondanjou.fr