Sweet and number melons: this year at Thierry Bouyssières, the harvest is “excellent”

The heat wave does not make everyone’s misfortune! Furthermore, In Lauzerte, north of Tarn-et-Garonne, Thierry Bouyssières is delighted with these hot temperatures. Nevertheless, The weather is indeed ideal to finish maturing your melons. Moreover, Farmer of a 55 hectare polyculture farm, the sixty -something, installed over 25 years on the family site, dedicates 2.5hectarres from his land to the production of Charentais Melon.

Its cultures were carried out so that they do not reach maturity at the. In addition, same time. Moreover, A sweet number melons: this year way of helping him in his work, the farmer working alone. Meanwhile, In the midst of season, he can however count on the help of 2 or 3 seasonal workers. However, Currently, there are two of them: Victor and Alizée. Meanwhile, “They are local young people,” he says. If they want to come back next year, it is with pleasure, “he launches them”!

Since 6:45 am, the small team has been hard at work Chemin de Raoussou. sweet number melons: this year “The hot weather impacted the harvest which started a little earlier: 15 days in advance,” he reveals. Otherwise, the routine remains the same. “Every day as soon as the sun rises. until noon, except Sunday, we go back to each row, explains the farmer. We only pick those who are ripe”. Obviously for the specialist, but who was not for the two young seasonal workers, whom we had to train. “There are several ways to spot a melon arriving at maturity. First, the color.” The melon must start slightly to yellow. The skin should not be smooth. but well written “, he specifies, showing the grooves which puts the fruit he has in hand. The peduncle is also an element to inspect for the pickers:” If there are small traces of dropouts. it is also a sign of maturity, it can be picked up “.” At the beginning it was sweet number melons: this year a little difficult, admits Alizée, but now, we are calm, Lauzertine.

Once collected. a small part of the production will be sold directly but the largest majority of the fruits collected by the farmer will be sold to the Boyer company, installed in Moissac. They are the ones who take care of the calibration and the resale. The sugar level of the melons provided is also verified and makes it possible to determine the cost of purchase. “A price always as bad for the producer,” regrets Thierry Bouyssières.

Yet quality and quantity are there this year! “The melons are sweet number melons: this year very sweet thanks to this heat, and the yield is very good,” he says. Additionally, “We have not had any health problems. disease, nor pest, and the few thunderstorms that there were caused no damage,” he list. His picking will continue until the end of the month. and from September, the seasonal workers will return to their business. He will then finish collecting alone, until mid-September. Date of the end of the harvest. “This year, I am 20-25 tonnes, by hectare,” he said. A season as he would like to have every year!