Published last October, the special report of the Court of Auditors of the European Union created a stir within the kiwi growing sector of Adour, located on the border of Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Despite the short circuit and the promotion of local production, the cultivation of vitamin-rich fruit and adaptation to climate change do not go well together.
Originally from China and introduced in 1965 by Landais Henri Pedelucq, the Adour kiwi is the only variety to benefit from the double Red Label and Protected Geographical Indication certification. Now the eighth fruit produced in France, 75% of which comes from the South-West, it nevertheless finds itself under fire from critics.
“Inadequate” irrigation needs?
The main element put forward by the report relates to the question of irrigation unsuitable for water resources, of the order of “2,000 m³ of water per hectare”. He highlights poor public investments in terms of infrastructure such as “the construction of a reservoir intended to irrigate five hectares of actinide trees” in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, which benefited from funding of 110,064 euros under the Fund. European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
But while the region is among the rainiest in the country according to Météo-France, Jean-Marc Poigt, president of the Kiwi Association of Adour and producer for thirty years, welcomed the news with amazement. “I hardly use irrigation for my crops. The 2,000 m³ of water mentioned in the report is almost entirely covered by rainwater! »
According to him, this fruit has lower water requirements than corn, which he also grows. “We have very precise calculation tools, such as blood pressure monitors, to determine which areas need to be irrigated. » He also emphasizes that the kiwi is not very susceptible to diseases, and does not need to use phytosanitary products.
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The strong climatic contrasts are also a boon, says the president, for this fruit native to exotic countries. “The ideal climate for our plants is around a hundred millimeters of rain per month, a cold winter and a drought in summer to fracture the soil and clean out parasites. »
“The question of water is a real subject for agriculture, but it is not the same everywhere”
Aude Witten, deputy general director for the program of the Adour-Garonne water agency, in charge of planning and management of water in the Adour, confirms the kiwi farmer's comments. “Adour is not a sector affected by water tensions. » She thus notes a greater demand for water in the spring for anti-freeze uses in particular, “but the withdrawals remain compatible with the flow of the river. »
Too much water
But this should not be misunderstood. Annual production of kiwifruit in France has increased from 80 tonnes twenty years ago to 65 tonnes today, and it is undeniable that the sector is encountering difficulties.
The kiwi grower himself admits having lost 80% of his volumes. According to him, “the question of water is a real subject for agriculture, but it is not the same everywhere”. The real problem here is that, on the contrary, there is too much water. “The real turning point was 2013, after major floods. »
Juliette Grall / “SO”
Experimentation with a more resistant rootstock should give its first results in four years.
Since then, these episodes of submersion have been repeated regularly, as in 2019 or more recently in October 2024. However, hydromorphy causes the withering of crops because “the plants do not have deep roots and quickly find themselves suffocated,” he continues. .
Towards Béarn?
Even if the Adour valley does not seem affected by water shortage, contrary to what the report states, irrigation problems exist in several regions of France and Europe such as Italy and Greece, main producing countries. In 2020, the International Kiwi Organization (IKO) recorded a 20% drop in Italian production in 2019 compared to the period 2014-2017.
To survive, the sector needs to adapt to new climatic conditions. Jean-Marc Poigt raises the possibility of moving the kiwi production zone from Adour to Béarn, “which has a colder and less humid climate”. He is also trying to find solutions for his crops by experimenting with a more resistant rootstock.
The Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region is currently funding a research program to combat dieback. Highly coveted and still widely imported, the kiwi is a crop that communities do not want to see disappear, both for its prestige and its high added value.
