Fourth-generation farmer faces summer challenges

Elliott Breau, 22, is part of the fourth generation of a family farm in Villebernier, near Saumur, which operates on 100 hectares, 20 of which are organic. The farm is located near the Loire River, whose water levels were very low at the beginning of October.

Summer stress and adaptation

Despite an exhausting summer, Breau expressed that the season allowed the farm to "improve (their) practices" and "try new things." The sandy soil of the region is well-suited for horticultural activities, but heat waves and drought have affected production and disrupted the work habits of the six partners, including uncles, cousins, and three young adults, as well as the dozens of employees.

Lettuce cultivation under pressure

The farm produces leeks, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and especially lettuce, grown on 40 hectares in the open field, with cultivation in greenhouses beginning in autumn. Lettuce, which is 95% water, requires rain, and harvesting is done before noon.

Adaptation strategies

According to Sébastien Breau, 51, Elliott's uncle, lettuce stresses and produces more seeds when it gets too hot, a natural phenomenon where the plant "feels" it is dying and seeks to reproduce. To combat this, the farm installed irrigation systems late in the evening, conducted plantings under the light of projectors during the night to prevent plants from burning, and harvested before noon.

Expert support and water management

The farm also received visits from the technical staff of the cooperative Rosée des champs, with which the farm is associated, to provide advice during this unusual summer. Thanks to a rainy winter, the departmental authorities of Maine-et-Loire have most often responded favorably to the water requests of horticulturists.

Harvest loss and industry comparison

Despite these efforts, the farm reported a harvest loss of "only" 10%, compared to an average of 35% among horticulturists in France, according to the Syndicat des fabricants de produits végétaux prêts à l'emploi (SVFPE), which initiated this press visit. This syndicate groups cooperatives and private groups.

Adapting to new conditions

Some horticultural farms in the Nantes basin, which mainly produce young shoots and mâche (delicate crops), opted for shade nets. At the beginning of autumn, in Villebernier, stretch over several dozen meters the last plantings of lollo rossa (red lettuces), full and firm, which benefited from the "return of cold nights," notes Augustin Ringô, general director of Rosée des champs.

Processing and packaging

Vegetables are harvested, loaded daily onto the cooperative's trucks, then washed, prepared, cut, and packaged depending on whether they are first grade (fresh raw vegetables), cut and ready to use (fourth grade), or cooked and packaged (fifth grade). On the sites as well, it was necessary "to adapt to the products" of this strange summer.

Handling the harvest

As soon as the vegetable crates arrive at the buildings in Doué-en-Anjou, a mandatory passage through the fridge is required to "lower the temperature" and prevent the products from deteriorating, explains the cooperative's manager. Along the conveyor belts where the lettuces pass, the trimmers (specialized employees who remove damaged greens in a few seconds) have managed to adjust their gestures to the new format of the lettuces, which have a weight much lower than the norm.

Official estimates pending

The statistical service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agreste, will provide its first estimates on vegetable harvests by the end of October.