The Origine Cévennes cooperative, which is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its store, talks about the upcoming season for its flagship product: The Cévennes sweet onion.
© Origine Cévennes
A later start this year
After a 2024/2025 season marked by heavy rain, the new Cévennes sweet onion season looks promising. With forecasts set at 2,000 tons last year, the cooperative had to revise its yields downwards to 1,600 tons. As Carl Grandidier explains, "the water-logged bulbs dried out, resulting in a loss of almost 300 tons. For the coming season, according to initial estimates, we should be able to market 2,100 tons (for a production potential of 2,400 tons). This rise in volumes can be explained in particular by the return of larger sizes and a slightly higher area planted. This year, the season will start almost a month later than usual. "We expect to start marketing our PDO product directly on September 8th, as the spring rains prevented growers from replanting on time."
© Origine Cévennes
Nearly 450 products available all year round, 7 days a week
Opened in 2015, the cooperative store is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. But it was in 2012 that the adventure began, with direct sales of apples, onions, and apple juice, in rather "rudimentary" conditions, as shop manager Élodie Bourgues explains. "The products were displayed on pallets, and I had a small piece of furniture on wheels to display jams, honeys, cheeses, and wines for additional sales. There was a table where I could put the cash register and make the sales. Over the years, given the popularity of direct sales, the cooperative decided to move up a gear and open a store. The cooperative now offers no fewer than 450 products all year round in its store, including a wider range of wines and beers, more jams, pâtés, meat, as well as sweet and savory products, and even beauty products. While the range was initially concentrated exclusively on the Gard and Hérault departments, the cooperative has gradually expanded its scope to include producers from neighboring departments. "Today, three selection criteria are paramount. We give priority to short distribution channels and a direct relationship with producers, we select small producers, and above all, we offer our customers quality, seasonal products."
© Origine Cévennes
Despite a reorganization of the sales area and a reinforced sales team, particularly from mid-July to early November, the cooperative has observed "a certain saturation of the store during peak periods and an increased workload for sales assistants," according to Thomas Vidal, director of Origine Cévennes, who is therefore considering moving the store to a more suitable location (nearby), especially to facilitate parking.
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
