The Swing Bio apple has just been certified Bee Friendly for the 2021 harvest, a label for farmers committed to protecting pollinators. In 2021, the 110 ha of Swing Bio orchards are the first to be certified both organic and Bee Friendly.
© Sica Gerfruit Swing Bio
The adventure started in 2020. The producers then started complying with the good Bee Friendly practices. On more than 35 farms, the requirements of the Bee Friendly specifications were applied from the spring of 2021, in addition to the organic criteria. This hard work was rewarded on December 1st 2021, when all the Swing Bio orchards in France obtained the Bee Friendly label, allowing the 1,800 ton production to be labeled both organic and Bee Friendly. The work will continue in 2022 to integrate even more producers in the process.
© Sica Gerfruit Swing Bio
This year, the harvest ended mid-November. It was partially impacted by the frost, especially in southwestern France and in the Alps. As for the orchards of the Loire Valley and Languedoc, the harvests turned out normal. In total, the volumes harvested this year reached 2,300 tons compared to the 1,500 tons harvested last year. The Swing Bio will be available until July. An extended marketing period thanks to the long shelf-life and ripening period. As for the quality, the apples benefit from a good coloration this year and a high sugar content reaching 15 degrees Brix.
For more information:
Candy Kouadio
Mylord
ckouadio@mylord.fr
www.swing.bio
https://www.certifiedbeefriendly.org/