The Roussillon artichoke got off to a slightly later start this year. The 100% organic Coopérative La Tour, which has been producing artichokes for 5 years, takes stock of the season for this vegetable, which is emblematic of the region, as well as the cooperative's diversification into citrus fruits 5 years ago.
"Artichokes allow us to bridge the gap between winter and summer produce"
Coopérative La Tour started producing (green) artichokes a few years ago, mainly because of the vegetable's historical presence in the region. "Artichokes have always been grown here; it is a traditional crop," explains Yannick Chevrier, director of the cooperative, which now has 15 hectares under cultivation. The cooperative also started producing artichokes for reasons of rotation, which is compulsory in organic farming. Planted in July and harvested in March, the crop also has the advantage of providing a link between winter crops (mainly cabbage) and stone fruit, the cooperative's flagship product.
An emblematic product of the Catalan region, artichoke acreage has nevertheless declined over the years, due to the disappearance of small producers and to the higher yields made possible by new varieties on smaller areas.
"It is also a question of timing," explains Isabelle Falcou, sales manager. The Roussillon artichoke season usually starts well before the produce from Brittany (between 3 weeks and 1 month). But this year is an exception, as the vagaries of the weather have completely altered the calendar. "We have had too much water and too little light, which delayed the harvest. In Brittany, however, the situation was reversed, with warm, sunny weather, allowing for an earlier start." This overlapping of production areas has had an impact on the market. "This is causing problems for prices. We got the campaign off to a good start, and sales were also boosted by the Easter celebrations. But prices started to drop last week in the region. Negotiations are tighter at the moment, so we remain vigilant, especially as the biggest consumer areas (Brittany and the Paris region) are on holiday," explains Yannick Chevrier. Despite all this, the Roussillon artichoke still has a bright future. "Sales have stabilized over the years, and the overall demand is good."
Status of the Roussillon clementine
In 2020, the Roussillon cooperative decided to diversify into citrus fruits, including mainly clementines. Today, the surface area has stabilized at 10 hectares, currently cultivated by 10 growers. The citrus fruit dynamic seems to be going well. "The first harvests have tasted very good and the varieties have adapted perfectly to our region," explains Isabelle Falcou. While there are "still a few agronomic aspects we need to work on," according to the manager, the growers can count on the technical support of Civam Bio 66 (association of organic growers of the Pyrénées-Orientales), which organized a technical trip to Corsica, as the island is already well versed in this domain. However, the objective of doubling the volumes harvested by 2029 could come up against a climatic factor. "Climate remains THE limiting factor. Climate change is raising questions, and we do not really know where we are headed, especially as drought remains a problem in our department."
For more information:
Coopérative La Tour
Km 1 Route de Thuir
66170 Millas (Pyrénées-Orientales)
Phone: +33 (0) 4 68 57 11 11
[email protected]
www.cooplatour.fr