The French artichoke season has started once again. Pierre Gélébart, of Prince de Bretagne, assures that artichokes are one of the company's main products. "The biggest product is cauliflower, followed by tomatoes and artichokes." Prince de Bretagne sells most of its products in the domestic market. Additionally, the firm exports to various countries in Europe. From the Netherlands, its products are widely distributed to other importers."
Pierre Gélébart during Medfel 2014
Highs and lows
Pierre points out that there are many highs and lows in the production of artichokes. "We produce from May to November and production volumes constantly changes. We offer two kinds of artichokes, the traditional green round (Camus and Castel) and the Petit Violet. Of the traditional we produce around 35,000 tonnes per year, and of the smaller purple ones we grow 5.5 tons." He says that France is the largest market, "with a small volume going to Germany and Italy becoming a good customer from September onwards, as that is when the season has no start there."
The artichoke growing season has developed normally and production volumes are rapidly increasing. "Two weeks ago, the production was of four to eight tonnes per day, and last week it was 45 tonnes. This week we expect to harvest 100 tonnes per day, and the production is in full swing." He explains that last year's production was disappointing. "Normally we grow more "heads" of traditional artichokes, but the plants were affected by extremely hot weather conditions, as there was just enough water for one artichoke per plant. This year we expect a normal season in terms of production."
Growing and marketing
Prince de Bretagne is a group of 2,350 growers marketing over 500,000 tonnes of vegetables and strawberries each year in more than 30 countries. They produce 87 vegetables on a total of 30,800 hectares. "It is a great advantage that we do not only market the products, but also grow them," states Pierre. "That way, we can keep an eye on the entire process and deliver the best products. We do not purchase produce from third parties, so as soon as the fruit and vegetables from our growers are sold out, the season is finished. We are proud about Prince de Bretagne having become such a household name, both at home and overseas."
For more information:
Pierre Gélébart
Prince de Bretagne
Kérisnel - 29250
St Pol de Léon, France
T: 02 98 69 39 00
F: 02 98 69 39 01
www.princedebretagne.com