All our distribution markets have been growing significantly since last autumn. French garden centres have really caught up, landscapers are busier than ever. And the online sales market, which used to be only small until recently, has dramatically increased. It wasn’t easy for the production to keep up with all the orders. Thanks to some clever supply management, we could fulfil nearly all the demand.
When it came to fruit trees for example, our production for the 2020/2021 sales season was almost finished by the end of autumn. We only had 10% left for the remainder of the season. We did literally everything we could to supplement our own supply with quality products from third parties, but we found the same problems across all of Europe. Production planning is going to be a real challenge for a while. We’re all facing shortages of everything now, but nobody knows what the world will look like in five years’ time.
I believe that in a while, the demand will start to go down again, but I also think that some of the growth is here to stay. More and more people are developing a love for plants and gardening. But whether we’ll be able to hold on to 20% or 50% of the growth? I don’t know. And if everyone is going to increase their production next year, will we still be able to maintain a good market balance? We don’t know yet how we’re going to manage it all. For the moment, we’re busy processing our new harvest and we’re planting young trees for the next few seasons.
I’ve only been working with Pépinières Minier for four months, but I have 15 years of experience within the sector. Patrick Pineau is going to retire soon, and I’ll be taking over some of his tasks. The company recently set up a new division, Formidable Plant Breeders (FDP), which focuses on cultivation technology and commercial innovation. I’m the head of that division. A great challenge!”
Adrien Moreau
Development Manager FBP at Pépinières Minier, one of the largest tree growers in France.
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