Cévennes sweet onion production faces potential 20% decline

The harvest of sweet onions in the Cévennes region is currently underway, though producers are facing challenges due to extreme weather. According to Carl Grandidier of the Origine Cévennes cooperative, while the sanitary quality of the onions remains good and there are no significant disease issues, heat and water scarcity have negatively impacted both size and total yield.

Conditions vary significantly by valley. In the Taleyrac valley, early crops maintain standard sizes, but later growing areas are producing much smaller onions. Additionally, heat has caused some outer skins to crack and has shortened the growing cycle from the usual 90 days to approximately 80 days.

Due to the reduction in onion size and the abandonment of certain plots caused by water shortages, the cooperative anticipates a decrease in sales volume. Initial estimates suggest that this year's production could fall by 15% to 20% compared to last year's 1,780 tons.