For Prince de Bretagne, the season of Gariguette strawberries is already well underway, since it started at the end of January for the producers located in the Finistère department. “The beginning of the Gariguette campaign is going well. The supply will continue to increase at the end of March when the crops from Côtes-d’Armor will start producing. The production peak will be between mid-April and mid-May, with daily volumes reaching 8 tons/day,” explains Juliane Guichaoua, product manager at Prince de Bretagne.
The cooperatives currently gather 16 strawberry producers (including 1 organic producer) for a total area of 18 hectares. Most of the farms benefit from the HEV label and the remaining ones are in the process of obtaining the certification.
Photo credit: L'Œil de Paco
High-end offer
Prince de Bretagne has focused on a high-end strawberry offer with very well-known varieties such as the Gariguette, which the cooperatives sell under their own brand. “It is a very sweet but also tangy strawberry, with a distinctive shape. It is the earliest variety and the most well-known to consumers. Prince de Bretagne has acquired a certain know-how on this reference which is reflected in the quality of the product. For now, we are very satisfied with this year’s product, which also keeps very well.”
Auction sales for maximum freshness
Most of the strawberries produced by the Prince de Bretagne cooperative are sold at auctions. “The product is shipped the same day to supermarkets and wholesale markets in France. The cycle is therefore very short between the time the strawberry is harvested and the time it reaches the final customer, which guarantees maximum freshness.” Early in the campaign, it is difficult to say how the demand and prices will evolve. “Strawberries are a pleasure purchase. With a purchasing power that is currently shrinking, it is still too early for predictions. Producers are also careful about the rise in energy costs which could have an impact on production costs.
The strawberry is also affected by the increase in other expenses such as fertilizers and labor.”
Other references produced
Besides the Gariguette, Prince de Bretagne also offers the Maras des Bois. “This variety has a taste similar to that of wild strawberries. Brittany’s moderate climate allows for a regular production in terms of volume and quality, for a strawberry that is considered to be very fragile. We also offer the Murano and Magnum varieties, which help expand our strawberry range over a period complementary to the Gariguette.”
For more information:
Juliane Guichaoua
Prince de Bretagne
[email protected]
