There may be cherries on sale

Growers in Tarn and Garonne are expecting a bumper crop of cherries this year and the first harvest has begun this week. Apparently they traditionally supply the French Open tennis at Roland Garros in a week or two. In addition to being copious, the cherries are said to be sweeter than last year.
Those readers with "cerisiers" in their gardens may have noticed that their fruits are progressing well, but maturing according to the variety, some being later than others.

Are your kiwis French?

French markets and supermarkets sell some 80000 tonnes of kiwi fruit, of which about 30000 are imported, particularly in winter when southern hemisphere fruit is in season. But in European season French grown kiwi are generally more expensive than those imported. This led several wholesalers to take part in a fraud, selling cheaper Italian fruit as French. Food inspectors discovered that some fruit showed traces of pesticides used in Italy, but banned in France.
One firm under investigation is based in Tarn and Garonne and two in Lot and Garonne. Two Italian exporters have been prosecuted for issuing false certificates of origin.
Local producers explain that the lack of use of fungicides means they lose more fruit in cold storage than their competitors, increasing costs, but ensuring a less contaminated product.

Apples galore

Gala apples harvested near Negrepelisse: 

Tarn and Garonne is the main producer of France's favourite fruit. On average we consume 18kgs each per annum, and this year looks like a bumper crop. Local producers were able to start picking a few weeks early as the hot sunny weather ripened up the crops. But with pickers needed to gather 1500 kilos per day there is a severe shortage of seasonal workers. It is reckoned that about 500 extra jobs will be available over the next three months. No doubt local Poles Emploi will have details.

Abundance of Reine Claudes this year

The delicious green plums known as Reine Claude  (greengages) are said to be in abundance this year, as the harvest begins in Tarn and Garonne. The department is the leading area for plums and about 70% of the crop is grown here.
Here at Mas del Sol we have had a very poor year for soft fruits, though the hedgerows are pretty laden with the small wild plums known as "prunes de cochon", which are maturing into quite a sweet alternative.

Bad year for plums

Tarn and Garonne produces over 80% of France's plums and this year the early varieties have been badly hit by frost in February. Some producers reckon that yields are down by almost 90%. 2017 had been a bumper year, as we at Mas del Sol can confirm, as our two ancient pruniers were heavily overloaded.
Older, traditional varieties may fare better but meanwhile producers want the government to declare a natural catastrophe. Production overall is estimated at 15000 tonnes, compared with 45000 tonnes last year.
Sellers say they will import plums from Spain and Italy so there should be no shortage, but buying local may be dearer this year.
One of the things we lost in the lightning strike was a freezer full of frozen plums - perhaps we need to up-date our insurance claim!
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Who will pay for the damage?

A64 Muret/St Gaudans: pic Nicolas Albrand

Vinci Autoroutes estimate that the cost or repairing damage to the A61,A62,A68,a64 as well as the Toulouse ring road will run into millions. Not simply removing the rubbish dumped and slogans daubed, but crash barriers ripped up and road signs smashed.
The company has lodged a complaint, but at the moment nobody knows who will pay. The maire of Montauban says her commune has paid for removal of tons to tyres, but believes the government is responsible and should pay. We wonder if the farmers' unions who called fro and organised the protests can be held responsible.
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Farmers' protests ended?

Following a meeting with the minister for agriculture on Wednesday, farmers' unions believe an acceptable formula has been reached to re-design the map of areas designated as unfavourable for farming. There were 472 communes included in the plans to withdraw the status, therefore the subsidy, but this has been reduced to 182 in Occitanie.
Agriculteurs are asked to dismantle the barriers and cease their actions. The unions believe they could not have achieved this without their action and apologise for the inconvenience caused, but think that local residents will understand that good food is worth fighting for.
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Montauban blocked by agriculteurs

Over 1000 farmers caused traffic jams on the A62 yesterday and throughout the Montauban city centre on Wednesday (24th January). This is part of the continuing protests against reducing the number of communes covered by subsidies for farming in environmentally difficult areas. Said to be worth up to 6000 euros per annum many claim they would need to cease farming if the zones are restructured.
The protests have been taking place throughout Occitanie and there were over 100 Lotois present to support their Tarn and Garonne colleagues. After a meeting with the prefect Pierre Besnard the leaders of the demonstrators claimed that over 90% of the communes in such zones in T&G would not be affected.
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Argentine beef to be imported?

The controversial trade agreement CETA between the EU and Canada which came into force earlier this year may be followed by an agreement with the South American trade group MERCOSUR.
Local beef producers fear that it could lead to imports of relatively cheap beef from Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay with a favourable tariff regime. With French beef about 20% more expensive this could mean loss of jobs, presumably in the area of products with lower premium rates, such as processed meat. The 100000 tons envisaged for the EU as a whole could, according to Aveyron producers endanger 20000 exploitations. Perhaps corned beef will be cheaper.....
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"Unfair" Bulgarian ducks

Producers of duck products in the Gers have been badly hit by avian flu this year but are angry to find Bulgarian products on supermarket shelves at prices considerably lower than home produce.
Certain activists complained that although Bulgarian ducks are only half the price of the French equivalent, their competition is unfair because the welfare standards are lower. Consumers, therefore, choosing to pay less are risking the whole production of French ducks.

In an operation designed to draw attention to the problem producers toured supermarkets in Auch and fixed labels to the tins, indicating that the contents were "seriously damaging to French aviculture".
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Record olive crop in Gard

Most agriculture stories this year have been about over abundance (melons) or shortages (grapes), but despite the drought and early frost and later storms the olive crop in the south is heading for a record. Almost ten times as many olives as last year are being harvested and although they are small the quality is excellent. The drought had two effects: keeping the fruit small; avoiding the usual plague of flies which damage the crop.  Most of these olives are machine picked and processed, rather than the hand picking required for the olives for consumption. Of course it remains to be seen what effect a bumper crop will have on prices.
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Sheep milk producers to federate

Brebis of Larzac, Aveyron

After seven years of discussions and reflections (they don't rush these shepherds) the three main areas producing sheep's milk have decided to form an alliance to promote the advantages of traditional methods of raising the agneaux and utilising the milk produced. Over 50% of the this milk is in fact produced in Aveyron (Corsica and Pyrenees Atlantic being the other areas). With such names as Roquefort already protected, they stress the importance of keeping in touch with the land, lambs raised under the mother and pastoral care being the producers' main weapon against "industrialisation". The newly formed federation will promote these values of brebis products such as cheese, milk and lamb. It makes a change from discussing how to eradicate wolves and bears!
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Going nuts in September

Apparently Gers and Tarn and Garonne are France's major producers of hazel nuts (noisettes). Grown industrially in France during the past 40 years, production is now the seventh highest in the world. And most are grown locally. They are harvested between August and November, preferably when the ground is dry because large machines sweep the ground to gather up the fallen fruits.
Different varieties are used either for confectionery or as edible nuts or ground for flour.
Here the Laguepie chestnut (chataigne) fair in October reminds us that this was once the most important area for that crop and the many walnut (noix) trees  planted in gardens are another sign that it is an important area for nuts.
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Good year for plums - bad for grapes

As we reported a week or so back, the trees of our garden are groaning with juicy plums and we are not alone. The departments of Lot and Tarn & Garonne produce 50% of all the plums grown commercially in France. The fine June weather with rain at just the right time has allowed the plums to ripen in time.
Melons were over-produced and were dumped or sold at a loss and frost and hail in the spring has damaged many grape vines, threatening the harvests in the Lot.
But the harvest of the delicious reine claude plums (greengages) is in full swing and our black plums will be ripe in abundance in a week. Promises a good production of prunes (pruneaux d'Agen), a major export of the area.
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Lupins for food

Continuing Tag's harvest theme this morning, some farmers in the Tarn are experimenting with growing lupins as an animal feed crop. Some 60 hectares around Albi have been planted with lupins, which apparently have been known since before Roman times as a rich source of protein (and Omega 3, though one imagines the Romans did not know that). The Albigeois cooperative that is trying the crop also introduced flax as a crop a few years ago, giving the landscape a beautiful blue tinge.
First harvests of the lupins this week look promising and the crops will be mixed with other plants, such as flax, to provide a rich animal feed with 100% traceability.

Lupins growing near Albi

A surfeit of melons

Tarn and Garonne is the largest melon producing region in the south west and the superb weather these last couple of months has brought the crops to ripeness earlier than usual.
The problem is that many have matured at the same time and prices have dropped meaning many are being sold at a loss. The wholesale market at Moissac normally would receive 200 tons per day, but this week that figure has doubled. Some growers are dumping the crops and some are leaving them on the vine. We consumers can help by choosing from local growers when shopping as there are many cheap imports from Spain in the shops.
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Unmissable agricultural show

The 54th annual Salon de l'agriculture opened on 25th February in Paris. The Salon is always an unmissable event for leading politicians, even though most farmers are "en colere" at government and/or European policies.

"Imperial": best blond de Aquitaine?

The south west is an important producer of agricultural products and many will be there to display their wares, new ideas or just exchange views with fellow farmers. Winning best in show for their breeds or produce can be very valuable for farmers, as with young Mathieu Darre from Haute Garonne showing his prize bull. The show always attracts thousands of visitors, including Presidents of the republic.
President Chirac was well-known to enjoy eating his way round the show, Sarkozy swore at a protestor, Hollande is generally booed. This year all the candidates (except J-L Melenchon, who describes it as a  "big business" show) will be there, those wanting to protect the CAP from Brussels cuts; those wanting to limit imports; those hoping to promote green policies. All will find supporters and detractors.
Among the themes under discussion this year are the effects of the bird flu epidemics; the use of herbicides and pesticides on the land; the increasing conversion to organic ("bio") in both food and wine production and, of course, subsidies.
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And cameras to be in abattoirs

From January 1st 2018 it will be mandatory for all abattoirs to install CCTV in a bid to ensure that animals to be slaughtered are treated with respect. Inhuman handling of animals was highlighted in clandestine filming by an animal rights group called L214 in several abattoirs. This week parliament has passed a law to try to end such practices by having video cameras in all such establishments. Inspections currently carried out by Ministry of Agriculture staff will include monitoring of the video records.
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Dont go to Montauban on Monday

Farmers from all over the region will converge on Montauban on Monday morning as part of the protest against the redefining of  disfavoured areas, reducing the right to EU subsidies.
The three main entries to the city will be closed from 8.30 am until the demonstration ends.

"Ca va gicler" - the contents of the trailer are going to be spread.

The prefecture has banned parking and traffic from the city centre for the duration.
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Young agriculteurs en colere

Several bridges over the rivers Garonne and Tarn were blocked for some time yesterday when young farmers dumped loads of rubbish and manure as part of their protests against a proposal to reduce subsidies.

Pont Napoleon on the D813. Photo DDM

The EU wants to reduce amounts paid by re-classifying areas considered "disfavoured" from 181 to 24 in Tarn and Garonne. The young farmers consider that this will severely affect their income and future ability to continue. The Minister for Rural areas is the local Assembly member Jean-Michel Baylet who, with other local members, has approached the Minister for Agriculture for government aid.
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