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Analysis covering 24 counties
Innov-Agri Great South-West attracts visitors from 24 high-potential agricultural and farming counties. In fact, these counties represent over 4.1 million acres of useful agricultural surfaces, used for large farming and breeding operations.
As far as large farming operations are concerned, the "Great" South-West is by far the number one producer of Grain Maize (43.76% of the country's surfaces), of Sunflowers (67.10%), of Hard Wheat (49.61%), of Sorghum (67.35%) and Soya (72.55%).
In terms of cultivation for breeding purposes, the South-West represents over 1.4 million acres of fodder fields, of ensilage maize, etc… for approximately 5 million cattle, nearly 25% of France's livestock.
- Source: Agreste 2007 (provisional).
Focus: Midi-Pyrénées, the green upsurge
From organic food production to biomass activities, the region's skilled workers offer a greater range of diversity.
The Midi-Pyrénées, France's number one ovine region (1.6 million lambs produced in 2007) and largest organic food production surface (66,000 acres), which is also well positioned for the production of cattle beef, fruits and fatty palmipeds, remains quite agricultural, and is characterised by its wide range of production output, itself linked to the great variety of its rural lands. The industry also carries significant economic weight. The latest economic report, which ranks the region's companies each year, placed agricultural and food producing companies in second place, behind ship, airplane and railway constructors, in terms of workforce sizes.
However, in this landscape, activities have especially been driven by major cultivation operations covering large plains, since breeding and fruit and vegetable production is currently in the midst of a critical period. High inflation in 2007, record-breaking harvests in 2008 (in several industries) and prospects for new non-food opportunities are of particular interest to the cooperatives. They have gathered together in order to invest in research and create new transformation tools. Bioethanol, hemp fibres, bio-combustible granules, environmentally safe plastic transformation, etc... are all helping to diversify current activities.
- Source: Agro-Distribution, November 2008, Report written by Florence Jacquemoud.
Focus: Aquitaine
The agricultural and forestry sectors, in addition to marine and aquaculture activities, all play a major role in Aquitaine's economy: in terms of value added, exports, employment (10% of the region's active population works in the agricultural sector, as opposed to just 4% nationwide) as well as preservation and promotion of the region's territory.
Aquitaine's agricultural activities represent nearly 100,000 jobs and over 56,000 operations. Turnover nears 5 billion euros for the combined industries (wine production, maize production, fruit and vegetable growing, cattle breeding, fatty palmipeds, milk and dairy production, etc...).
The food processing industry is the region's number one industry, with 30,000 employees and over 4,000 companies. This sector achieves a turnover close to 6 billion euros (excluding wine production).
- Source: Aquitaine Regional Council website.
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