As the new French garlic season gets underway, market conditions appear favourable for growers, according to a report from Réussir Fruits & Légumes.
Christiane Pieters, president of Aniail, the French garlic association, said that the current lack of stocks kept in coldstorage, as well as smaller volumes coming from Spain, promised a good start to the season.
Pieters revealed that demand for garlic had risen by 20 per cent in France since the national lockdown was introduced in March, a surge she attributed to a return to home-cooking, in addition to the healthy reputation of the product.
Demand has also been strong in North African markets such as Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, Réussir Fruits & Légumes reported.
Pieters said that harvesting took place around ten days early this year, with white garlic bulbs looking healthy and average in size.
While the purple garlic category has experienced some colouration issues, the pink garlic season is reportedly progressing well, with the harvest expected later.
On the other hand, yields of organic garlic are reportedly approximately 40-50 per cent lower this year, while sizes are smaller. This is believed to be due to the extremely dry conditions experienced in May.
