Since November, the potatoes of the agricultural cooperative of Noirmoutier have been authorised to display a red label on their packaging, which denotes a recognition of their quality.
The first potatoes of the year are now being harvested by the 28 potato producers of the island. The season will end around the end of August. Every day, 20 tons of potatoes are harvested, washed and shipped. They can be found in local supermarkets and at Rungis “the day following the harvest,” according to Nicolas Paille, director of the cooperative. “Harvesting by hand is essential because the potatoes of Noirmoutier are very fragile,” explains a producer who hopes to produce 12,000 tons this year. The cooperative has the equivalent of 40 full-time employees on about 30 farms.
The potatoes that are being harvested now are the first to benefit from the famous red label. “The red label will first appear on the packaging from the 8th of April,” explains Nicolas Paille. “We had discussions about the red label for a long time, because we’re talking about islanders here, who don’t want to change their ancestral practices.”
Additionally, the cooperative will also launch “zero pesticide residue” potatoes and work on packaging with no plastic. “Thanks to our technique, which consists of planting and harvesting the majority of our potatoes by hand, we had already arrived at this result,” explains Nicolas Paille. “It just needed to be officially recognized.”
Source: foodandsens.com