The marketing season for the famous Cévennes sweet onions has just come to an end. Carl Grandidier, sales manager for the Origine Cévennes cooperative, takes stock of the 2024/2025 season.
Another rainy season for Cévennes onions
In September 2024, between 1,900 and 2,000 tons were forecast, which is identical to last year. In the end, 1,620 tons were sold by the Origine Cévennes cooperative this season (compared with 2,500 tons in the best years). The reason for this was the rain, much like last year. "There was far too much rain in the spring. The waterlogged tops took up a lot more space in the pallets, so when they dried out, we lost 300 tons," explains Carl Grandidier. Yields and sizes were smaller this year. In terms of quality, however, there was "nothing to report" for most of the season, except at the end, "because onions do not like humidity."
86% of sweet onion production from the Cévennes is sold in France, with the remaining 14% divided between Italy (a growing market, with purchases increasing every year), England, Switzerland, and Germany.
Higher prices this season
The drop in volumes of Cévennes sweet onions for the 2024/2025 campaign will nevertheless have enabled selling prices to rise. "Supply could not meet the demand, so selling prices were logically higher than last year," in order to compensate for higher fixed costs, according to Carl Grandidier. Another consequence of the wet weather was the shorter duration of the campaign. "We started 15 days late, at the end of August, compared with the beginning of August last year (a later start to the harvest due to longer drying times) and finished almost 3 weeks early, due to insufficient volumes."
Although the sowing period has already started, "the heavy rainfall is preventing producers from sowing, which could delay the next season."
Photo credits: Origine Cévennes
For more information:
Carl Grandidier
Origine Cévennes
Route de Valleraugue
30570 St-André-de-Majencoules
Phone: +33 4 67 82 50 64
Mobile: +33 6 79 29 49 11
[email protected]
www.oignon-doux-des-cevennes.fr
