“The blueberry will become more popular in France”: the small vitamin berry is flourishing in Sologne
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“Only 11% of French people consume it. Less than 300 grams per year and per inhabitant. For comparison, it is 1.5 kilograms in England and the Scandinavian countries. Blueberry will become more democratic in France”, predicts David-Alexandre Bertrant, producer in Ligny-le-Ribault in the Loiret of “La Myrtille de Sologne. »
According to him, the purplish-blue fruit, with its sweet flavor, has a great future. “It’s a food ! smiles the farmer who boasts of its recognized health benefits: “It’s one of the berries that contains the most vitamin C and antioxidants. It is useful against the prevention of eye pathologies and blood circulation. »
For four years, between Chambord (Loir-et-Cher) and Orléans (Loiret), in the paradise of greenery and ponds of the family farm, he is experimenting with around twenty varieties with his teams in a 5-hectare research and development centre. “This is the lab! After the selection of the varieties, we produce on farms on a larger scale,” he adds.
More than fifty people hired for picking
On about thirty hectares, blueberries are grown according to the principles of sustainable agriculture. “They contain no residue pesticides. We use organic fertilizers. They regenerate the life of the soil to make the plant benefit from the services of biodiversity. »
More than fifty people will be hired for the harvest, which has just begun and will be spread over a period of two months. The Sologne blueberries will then be brought to the adjoining packaging workshop and placed in trays on site. Nearly one hundred tons should be marketed this year.
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