The agricultural sector in Brittany has had a difficult Summer. In order to remedy some of the difficulties, the region has now decided to inject additional funds in the industry.
For several years, Brittany has been the main supplier of vegetable of France, supplying cauliflower, potatoes, green beans, strawberries, tomatoes and spinach. Companies surrounding Sica de Saint-Pol-de-Leon sell to 1,500 customers throughout Europe, especially under the brand Prince de Bretagne.
The region has a strong logistics structure with short distribution lines, adding to its competitiveness against surrounding countries. Now, the region is investing in an expansion of the sector, hoping to revive the industry.
Brittany grows its vegetables on 56,000 hectares. That's 4% of the total area of farmland. The sector represents 5.2% of the 8.5 billion Euro turnover of the joint Breton agricultural production. Despite often erratic weather conditions, the 150 members of cooperative Savéol in Plougastel-Daoulas in Brest, produced 82,000 tons of tomatoes of different varieties last year. The cooperative also invested in 6,500 square meters of additional agricultural land this year, as well as over € 2 million in natural pollination by bumblebees, with the aim of increasing production from 30 to 40%.
