2024-02-03 04:30:08
LThe leek will play its game on a lawn covered with thorns. Wales faces, in fact, Scotland and its thistle pack, to begin the Six Nations Tournament, Saturday February 3. Even if Welsh supporters brandish this vegetable symbol of the principality with pride, they do not have a monopoly on the cultivation of this herbaceous plant. On the other side of the Channel, it is just as popular.
From the Nantes region, Center-Val-de-Loire, via Normandy, Hauts-de-France or Brittany, leek fields cover more than 5,400 hectares. According to the information bulletin published Wednesday, January 31, by the Ministry of Agriculture, market gardeners are rather satisfied. Production of this vegetable is expected to jump 10% compared to the previous year, reaching 170,400 tonnes at the end of the 2023-2024 campaign. The almost summer weather conditions which continued until the beginning of October 2023 favored accelerated growth.
Like many vegetable or fruit crops, farmers play on the parade of varieties to extend the calendar and offer this vegetable all year round. Even if the peak season is from September to April, when gourmands enjoy it warm in vinaigrette or hot in invigorating soups… the range goes from early spring leeks to its solid cousin ready to face winter and frost. This resistant vegetable does not hesitate to hang around in the fields.
From Belgium and Spain
This winter, however, persistent rains and storm Ciaran in November 2023 disrupted harvesting. A concern for affected producers, but a boon for others. Faced with these uncertainties, and a reduced availability of the product, the price of leeks has firmed up. A relief, when in September it plunged. As a result, in December of last year, the green and white vegetable was priced at a level 20% higher than the comparative average of the last five years. The leek sticks its head out of the water.
But even if leek cultivation is well rooted in the country, it is not enough to satisfy all appetites. France imported 13,483 tonnes between January and November 2023. Guess which country comes first? A clue for sleuths: it’s that of the famous detective Hercule Poirot, of course. Belgium delivered us 8,471 tonnes. Next comes Spain with more than a thousand tonnes, while three times as much is exported to this country. Even if the trade balance for leeks is slightly in deficit, it will not undermine our food sovereignty…
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