the essentials The prefect of Tarn-et-Garonne was visiting Buratti this Thursday morning. The operator, who produces 18,000 tonnes of apples per year, took the opportunity to explain the problems he encounters in his sector.
Created in 1981, the Buratti company is a family business. Yesterday managed by the two brothers Jean-Paul and Alain, it is now their respective children, Aurélie and Nicolas for the first, and Aurore and Damien for the second, who have taken over the reins, always supported by their elders.
This Thursday morning, the Buratti family gathered at their production site north of Montauban to welcome the prefect of Tarn-et-Garonne, Vincent Roberti, accompanied by the deputy director of the DDT (Departmental Directorate of Territories), Marie- Line Pommet. Other arborists, such as Christophe Belloc, president of Blue Whale or Damien Garrigues, also president of the FDSEA, also took part in the meeting.
The opportunity for everyone to discuss issues in the apple industry. And the first problem addressed was that of labor. “15 years ago, we held meetings with Pôle emploi, they managed to bring us 50 to 80 seasonal workers, remembers Jean-Paul Buratti. Today, they are no longer able to do so, which is why we is turned towards Ofii (French Office for Immigration and Integration)”.
If a few years ago the workforce was mainly Polish, now the majority of seasonal workers come from Morocco. Which represents more than 250 employees for Buratti. But what could turn out to be just a simple formality is more of an obstacle course for Aurélie Buratti, in charge of these recruitments. “We have difficulty obtaining visas on time, we make the requests in January but sometimes we get the answers when the harvest has already started. It is also complicated for extensions,” pleads the young woman to the prefect. “We will try to work to better anticipate next year, promised Vincent Roberti. We have a meeting at the beginning of December, with Ofii in particular,” he declared.
Around fifteen permanent employees are assigned to packaging the apples. Photo DDM, EL
“If we cannot harvest on time, it is the quality of the product that is impacted,” recalled Christophe Belloc. Who also underlined, according to him, the loss of quality generated by the restriction of the use of certain phytosanitary products. “If the quality is further degraded, it could be really dangerous for the sector,” he warns.
Electricity and water supplies
Other challenges also await apple growers. “The water problem” will arise, mentioned Damien Garrigues. Or the increase in the cost of energy. “Today, we have not managed to negotiate electricity prices,” laments Nicolas Buratti. So much so that on certain days, the apple washing station operates using a generator…which runs on diesel! The only way the company has found to try to minimize its bill. This has already more than doubled and will probably reach one million euros this year.
The washing station was established on the current site of the Buratti company, north of Montauban, in 2008. Photo DDM, EL
In any case, the arborists had the opportunity to discuss all their concerns with the prefect and the deputy director of the DDT. “We feel that they are listening,” says Aurélie Buratti. But the young woman now hopes that concrete measures will complete the discussion.
“The prefect should also make the State understand that the distortion of competition which exists between French producers and European producers, and even the rest of the world, is only getting worse. We talk about food sovereignty but we is far from it, the State must wake up,” says Damien Garrigues.
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