Sunday, November 10, the Grenattitude festival attracted curious people but also farmers tempted by diversification.
The sun invited itself on Sunday November 10 to the Grenattitude festival, on the grounds of the eponymous estate in Bagnols-sur-Cèze. “It’s been five years since we last had this party and we’re delighted with everyone!” smiles Christine Saleilles. The public was thus able to discover the new products offered by the farmers – honey, syrup, seed oil, molasses – who had accustomed their customers to pomegranate juice for ten years.
Among those present at the party were farmers who came to learn about pomegranate cultivation. “The Rhone Gard area is conducive to this culture. It is a rich land, where there is water thanks to the Cèze and the Rhône. It is hot and the hotter it is, the more the pomegranate tree produces. This culture comes from the Maghreb, from the south of Spain” explains Thomas Saleilles who sells plants to those who want to get started. “We have a nursery specializing in pomegranate plants.”
“There are a lot of imports from Türkiye, Iran…”
The Bagnolais, who planted his first pomegranate trees around fifteen years ago to diversify alongside his vines and olive trees, advises other farmers tempted by this new experience. “Some wine growers are having difficulties, they also want to diversify.”
If the fruit and its benefits have their fans, it remains to convince consumers to buy local products. “There are many imports from Türkiye, Iran… The pomegranate is still a little-known fruit. If the consumer plays the game of buying French, it will develop!”
