Like all his colleagues who breed sheep in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Stéphane Chetrit had been stuck for two weeks. Because of the confinement, more restaurants and fewer outlets to sell their suckling lambs. A few days before Easter, in a period which represents 30% of turnover for the sheep industry, the president of the agricultural cooperative society Alliance ovine basco-béarnaise therefore embarked on an XXL initiative with around 700 other breeders: the opening this Thursday of a gigantic drive to sell these Easter lambs.
"It's a gamble, we started a big machine without knowing the result. But when there is a need that is created, you have to know how to find the exit doors. We said to ourselves: 'There has 480,000 inhabitants in the department, we have 40,000 lambs for sale, well ... fire! '"
"We don't sleep much, but we believe in it!"
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The device is simple. A site allows you to place orders for boxes of six and a half kilos of lamb, whether they are leg of lamb, shoulders or ribs. Points of sale are then set up throughout the department to pick them up by car.
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"We are around the 45 points of sale in the department, which makes a mesh of 15 km distance between two points. There are stations, stadiums ... We don't sleep much, but it's starting to echo and then we believe in it, "says Stéphane Chetrit.
"400 pre-orders so far"
Even before the official opening, orders have already started since the weekend. "We have to turn around 400 pre-orders for the moment. It is therefore yes, it is starting well, hopefully, let's hope it continues," said Laurie, in charge of answering the phone.
Money donated in solidarity with hospitals
With these first encouraging returns, the Bovine Basco-Bearnese Alliance intends to continue this platform beyond Easter, as a new way to sell their products and to raise awareness among the local population of the need to buy "local" products. . "We have lamb from November to June every year, so the idea is really to perpetuate this approach behind. It is not a 'one-shot' as if we were getting rid of our lambs and you are not telling us never see more, on the contrary ", explains Stéphane Chetrit.
Of the 91 euros owed for each box, one euro will be donated in solidarity with the hospitals.