HOMEEuralis and its long-standing partner Bonduelle set up a pulse sector in June 2022. Two years after the launch, the benefits of producing chickpeas, lentils and dry beans in the cooperative region have been confirmed: the number of hectares under production has increased, as has the number of producers. Here is an update as the harvest draws to a close. The Euralis pulse sector is part of the Agricultural Division’s contract farming strategy and reflects the cooperative’s desire to move towards healthy, high-quality produce grown in France that respects the planet and is in line with current social trends. This sector is a perfect illustration of the Bonduelle Group’s commitment to supporting the plant-based transition and offering consumers healthy, high-quality food grown and processed in France.
Collection results: mixed but relatively satisfactory overall
A total of 142 producers have joined the Euralis Plant Protein Producers’ Organization (PO), the only one operating in France to date. The following are involved in this PO, and therefore in the pulse sector: 43 chickpea growers, 41 lentil growers and 58 dry bean growers, witha total of almost 1,300 hectares produced. These farmers represent the entire cooperative region (North Aquitaine, South Aquitaine and Occitanie). The harvesting of all varieties is now complete, with a total volume of around 1,800 tonnes. For chickpeas, the harvest was very satisfactory, with excellent yields. “We’re starting to get to grips with the technical and agronomic aspects of production,” explains Cédric Brana, head of the Fruit & Vegetables PO in the Euralis Agricultural Division. “For dried beans and lentils, on the other hand, the picture is more mixed. And we’ve had to give up hectares of land. The repeated rains – we didn’t have more than three consecutive days without showers at harvest time – had a negative impact on the quality of the produce, with dry beans rotting in the pod in particular.”
Pulses consumption still on the rise
The pulse sector is responding to growing consumer interest in plant proteins and products grown and processed in France. In 2023, the context was difficult for consumer products, with a 13% increase in distribution channels and purchase volumes down 3% on 2022. Nonetheless, pulses have done well this year. Volumes purchased by consumers rose by 3%, and their value by 16%, due to inflation. In the canned pulses category, beans top the podium (representing nearly half of volumes purchased), ahead of lentils (31%) and chickpeas (22%). Two other product categories stand out for their steady growth in recent years: “fresh spreads”, particularly hummus, and “plant-based alternatives” (veggie meatballs and patties, meat alternatives, etc.). Another piece of good news is that pulses are starting to be used in ready-to-eat dishes (source: Terre Innovia).
The advantages of pulses and contract farming
Pulses can be rotated with other crops, in particular small grains, sunflower, sorghum and maize. They also have the advantage of requiring little water and few input products. For the farmers who engage in this diversification, it also provides a guaranteed market outlet, and therefore a regular income. Indeed, the production contracts put in place are reassuring: they guarantee that producers will cover their costs, whatever the yields. “Farmers who choose to diversify are supported throughout the season,” explains Cédric Brana. “Euralis advisors work with them on the upstream side, mainly on agronomic issues: soil diagnosis, fertility, optimizing crop rotation, water management, and so on. They are mandated to provide a plot of land ready for cultivation. The Bonduelle Group, for its part, supports producers by providing its expertise, through the Soleal technical department, throughout the growing season: from production plans and technical monitoring to harvesting and processing. While pulses are sorted at Lidea in Francescas, Lot et Garonne (Southwest France), they are canned at Bonduelle’s Renescure plant in Northern France.
What about the future?
Our aim is to continue to develop this industry, which is still in the learning phase, by maintaining the momentum already established: production plans have increased by 41% compared to last year (1,274 in 2024 vs. 900 in 2023) and the number of producers has risen from 118 to 142. The first two harvests have provided us with a wealth of information and confirm the literature findings. “We have observed that there are significant ‘area effects’,” adds Cédric Brana. “In the Occitanie region, for example, we have good yields for lentils, due to the filtering clay-limestone nature of the soils in the area.” The challenge now is to become more competitive, with better technical control from sowing to harvesting. In particular, work is being carried out on redefining the cultivation itinerary program: sowing density, tilling, harvesting patterns, etc.
Guillaume Saintignan, farmer and member of the Euralis Board of Directors
“My farm is located in Lussan-Adilhac (Southwest France) and I have a UAA (Utilised Agricultural Area) of 150 hectares. I work on clay-limestone soils, without irrigation, and I have various crops: soft wheat, rapeseed, sunflower and, for the past two years, lentils (5 hectares) and chickpeas (7 hectares). I have a positive assessment of this year’s pulse harvest. Yields are satisfactory and in line with our forecasts: 2.5 tonnes per hectare for chickpeas and 1 tonne for lentils. I have started growing pulses because it offers me a guaranteed market outlet; I have just signed up for a third year, for 12 hectares of chickpeas only, due to my crop rotation. What’s more, these crops require few input products and little water, and they allow me to diversify my crop rotation by adding an extra crop. And I benefit from high-quality support: Bonduelle’s technicians visit me regularly in the field, during sowing and planting, and more frequently after sprouting, i.e. every 7 to 10 days. And together we set the harvest date. We’re still learning about these crops, together. We have found, for example, that growing lentils is more restrictive than other crops: you need to control weeds and the risk of lodging. My aim for the coming years, as a board member of the Euralis cooperative, is to structure, develop and perpetuate the pulse sector jointly established with Bonduelle. We want to continue to increase the number of hectares – 1,500 are planned for the next campaign – and gradually attract new producers.