Breton Vegetable Production in Danger: Producers Warn of the Unprecedented Situation

In view of the worrying situation of producers in Brittany, the company Prince de Bretagne calls for measures for water storage and calls for solidarity.

“We will have to learn to keep rainwater from winter”, urges Marc Keranguéven. The president of Cerafel, the collective brand of fresh fruit and vegetable producers on the north coast of Brittany, from three cooperatives (SICA of Saint-Pol-de-Léon, Les Maraîchers dArmor and Terres de Saint-Malo), concerned about an unprecedented situation where wind and heat accentuate the effects of water deficit. Above all, it is devastated by the yield losses caused by these repeated heatwave episodes which lead to a water deficit and insufficient irrigation.

“Brittany is going through a drought of unprecedented intensity. “The observation drawn up by the Prince de Bretagne cooperative is in light of the concern and feeling of dismay expressed by farmers, whoever they may be.

The collective brand Prince de Bretagne is concerned about an unprecedented situation where wind and heat accentuate the effects of the water deficit.

Since June, the repetition of high temperatures has profoundly weakened vegetable crops, and open-field irrigation, rare in the region, is no longer enough to compensate for the extreme stresses which endanger current production such as current vegetable plantations in come. A major vegetable crisis: losses ranging from 15% to 100% depending on crops and irrigation conditions.

The artichoke is very strongly impacted: 50 to 100% losses depending on access to water through irrigation. The situation is not much better for broccoli producers: around 60% losses.

Cauliflowers are no longer spared: producers note around 20% losses on current harvests (up to 100% on non-irrigated plots), as well as losses of young plants which compromise the volumes planned for the fall/winter.

For the Paimpol coconut, the campaign does not look any more promising with less than 50% estimated yield.
A drop in volumes of 25% is announced for zucchini, just like traditional shallots, while yield losses of between 30 and 35% are to be deplored for onions.

These losses reach up to 40% for peas.

“Every day that passes causes Prince de Bretagne market gardeners to lose vegetables, and all production is affected, particularly when it is not irrigated”, warns Marc Keranguéven, president of the AOP Cerafel and Prince de Bretagne market gardener.

Appeal to public authorities: water resources must become a national priority

With only 20% of market gardeners equipped for irrigation, the sector can no longer absorb such extreme climatic episodes, which now exceed the resilience capacities of crops.

Recalling that in Brittany, market gardeners are fortunate to benefit from significant annual rainfall, it is now becoming vital to put this natural resource aside.

“It is essential to learn how to conserve these resources to deal with heatwave episodes that the region has never experienced before”, insists in particular the press release from Prince de Bretagne which also requests a certain flexibility and understanding from the centers of purchase.

“It is essential to learn how to conserve these resources to cope with heatwave episodes that the region has never experienced before”

Prince de Bretagne market gardeners have been working in parallel, for several years, on varieties more resistant to water stress, in collaboration with the Breton Selection Organization, as well as through tests carried out in the experimental stations of CATÉ and Terre d’ Essays, in order to sustainably adapt production to new climatic conditions.

Prince de Bretagne market gardeners are asking: to accelerate decisions on winter storage, to secure irrigation authorizations, to support water investments essential to the survival of farms.

Request for flexibility and understanding from purchasing centers

Message to purchasing centers: relax approval criteria in order to avoid refusals of goods this summer and for the months to come

The drop in availability is already visible in the fruit and vegetable section.

To support production, Prince de Bretagne market gardeners are asking power plants: to temporarily accept products with defects linked to drought, to broaden the criteria of size, weight and appearance, to maintain a reinforced dialogue to secure supplies.

Message to consumers: support Breton vegetables

Breton products currently on the shelves are healthy, safe and consumable, even if they may be smaller or irregular. Tension over volumes leads to an increase in imports, to the detriment of food sovereignty.

Prince de Bretagne market gardeners invite consumers, now and for the months to come, to favor Brittany/France origin, accept visually imperfect products, and support local producers in this critical period.

The Breton vegetable industry is facing a historic crisis. Losses of output, downgrades, line stoppages and risks of technical unemployment show the urgency of collective mobilization.

Marc Keranguéven reminds us: “As long as there is life, there is hope”, a hope which must now be accompanied by decisions, collective commitment and immediate mobilization to preserve farms, support producers and adapt the sector to the climatic realities which are now imposed on Brittany.