- Red kiwi is a sweeter and sweeter product than its cousin the green kiwi.
- The most important French exploitation of this fruit of Chinese origin, was launched in 2018 in Lot-et-Garonne, and has just delivered its first production.
- It grows in a photovoltaic greenhouse, a greenhouse which therefore makes it possible to produce electricity.
The largest red kiwi farm in France, and one of the largest in Europe, is located in Boé, near Agen in the Lot-et-Garonne. Launched in May 2018 under photovoltaic greenhouses, it has just delivered its first production, several months ahead of schedule.
"I discovered this red kiwi in Italy, and I liked it right away," says farmer Jean Michel Aurières, who owns several farms in Tarn-et-Garonne, including green kiwi. Not hairy, the red kiwi “is an exceptional product, very sweet, with aromas of red fruits. Wishing to develop it in France, the farmer got closer to the company Reden Solar, producer of renewable energy and specialist in agrivoltaïsm, to understand greenhouses made up of photovoltaic panels. "There were greenhouses of this type available in Boé, and I was able to recover them, knowing that the particularity of this kiwi is that it can only be done in a greenhouse, because it is very sensitive to bacteriosis [ PSA]. "
"The challenge is to manage to produce"
Jean-Michel Aurières currently exploits 8 hectares of red kiwis in Boé. “We are on three greenhouses, and this year we were able to take out 3 to 4 tonnes / hectare, on a single greenhouse. The objective is to achieve between 25 and 30 tonnes / hectare. "
Little known yet to the general public, the red kiwi, originating in China, was until now exploited in Europe only in Italy, and in small quantity. "It is not very big, on average 80-90 grams, unlike the green kiwi which can make 120 grams," continues the farmer tarn-et-garonnais. We distribute it in short circuits, and also in supermarkets, even if we don't have large volumes at the moment. It is more expensive (10-12 € per kilo against 3 € on average for green kiwi), but I am confident on customer demand, our challenge is to produce, knowing that it is a fairly complex. "
Over 200 hectares of photovoltaic greenhouses in France for Reden Solar
The Reden Solar company, based in Agen, has for its part become the specialist in photovoltaic greenhouses, an activity which it has itself called "agrivoltaism". "The farmer thus benefits from the protection of his crop, since the greenhouse preserves heat and protects from the weather, and we, we gain a roof on which we can make energy production, since it is the photovoltaic panels that act as a roof, ”says Jean-Jacques Arribe, France development director for Reden.
Boé's photovoltaic greenhouses generate around 9 million kWh per year, equivalent to the annual consumption of some 10,000 inhabitants. They also make it possible to avoid the release of 340 tonnes of CO2 every year.
To date, Reden Solar operates more than 200 hectares of photovoltaic greenhouses in France, mainly in the large basins of the South East and South West. "And we have more than 100 hectares under study," adds Jean-Jacques Arribe. He specifies proposing dry greenhouses, "that is to say greenhouses that are not heated" which allows "to work the seasonal crops. "
A “win-win” system, as much for the farmer as for us. "
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