French vegetable producers are trying to change the negative image that greenhouse production has amongst many consumers in the country, according to a report in La Tribune.
At last week's Salon International de l'Agriculture (SIA) in Paris, growers were on hand to 'demystify' consumers about greenhouse production, according to Pierre Diot, president of the French AOP for tomatoes and cucumbers.
Approximately 95 per cent of French tomato production comes from greenhouses, and Mr Diot highlighted the fact that such production is respectful to the environment and saves water, thanks to advanced technology that enables growers to water the root directly according to the precise needs of the plant.
'30 years ago, I used 32 litres of water to produce a kilo of open field tomatoes,' said Henri Boxberger, a tomato producer in Montpouillan, in the Lot-et-Garonne department. 'Today, I use 12 litres, which is a saving of 60 per cent.'
Mr Diot equally stressed the benefits of greenhouses in combating disease and protecting from insects.
However, the higher price of greenhouse-grown tomatoes and cucumbers has sent French retailers looking to Morocco and Spain for cheaper produce.
Mr Diot has castigated such retailers, in addition to the European Union for creating privileged agreements with countries like Morocco, which now supplies a quarter of French consumption.
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