REUNIPECHE, the foremost player in the fishing sector on Réunion island (France’s overseas département in the Indian Ocean), will take part in the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels (Belgium) from 24 to 26 April 2012. The company will be presenting various types of fish, including albacore and bigeye tuna, as well as coryphene sea bream. An expert in the fishing, filleting and distribution of large deep-sea fish, REUNIPECHE specialises in swordfish, tunny, albacore, yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna, among other species that it commercializes. Albacore, yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna yielded prolific catches in 2011. In the same year, there was also an unusually large catch of coryphene sea bream and mahi-mahi, which are — whether fresh or frozen — greatly appreciated by American consumers, in particular. REUNIPECHE will be present at the European Seafood Exposition on Stand 5-301. The event will take place from 24 to 26 April of this year, in the Belgian capital. REUNIPECHE is based on Réunion island, which is an overseas French département located near Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean. REUNIPECHE’s fishing is concentrated in the seas off the southern and eastern coasts of Madagascar, around Réunion, and in waters around Mauritius. To the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), this is Zone 51, which encompasses the Western Indian Ocean. The sheer wealth of species in Réunion waters allows the company to present a wide range of fish only accessible to deep-sea-fishing operators, and those fish include marlin, shark and sailfish, among others. Most catches are pulled in live, which guarantees their freshness and quality. The fish are then killed using the Taniguchi method, developed in Japan, whereby nylon wire is threaded through the fish’s nerve centres. As a result, the fish does not become stressed, hence no toxins are released in the process. The fish is then cooled in a brine tub containing iced seawater, prior to being preserved on ice inside a refrigerated hold. REUNIPECHE specialises in quality products and prides itself on being very meticulous in the way that it catches, stores, cuts, packs and transports the fish. The company’s products are labelled Class Extra in terms of food certification, and can be prepared raw without any problem. Export sales account for 50% of REUNIPECHE’s turnover, especially in fresh swordfish and tuna filets. Since the start of 2012, REUNIPECHE has been supplying the Japanese market: each and every week, four tonnes of fish are shipped out to the Tokyo market, directly from Réunion island. Already established on the European, Asian and American markets, REUNIPECHE seeks to continue developing its export business. The company, more particularly, intends to focus its efforts on the Japanese and Russian markets. About REUNIPECHE REUNIPECHE is based in Saint-Denis de la Réunion, on Réunion island. It is an integrated business that covers the entire fish-distribution supply chain: from the catching of the fish to its delivery to wholesalers. The company also works closely with various fishing fleets. REUNIPECHE provides fresh, high-quality products complete with certificate of origin and a health-responsibility guarantee (CEE agreement). Fresh deep-sea fish sold by REUNIPECHE comes from a fleet of 17 boats that unload about 1,500 tonnes per year. Concerned with the environment, REUNIPECHE is also associated with a shelter that takes care of local turtles. Accordingly, the company’s fishermen are fully equipped to collect any injured turtles and hand them over to veterinarians. REUNIPECHE will be present at the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels (Belgium) on Stand 5-301. The event will take place from 24 to 26 April 2012 in the Belgian capital. For further information about European Seafood Exposition, please go to: www.euroseafood.com/12/public/enter.aspx  

Den franske Ambassades Handelsafdeling – Ubifrance har i samarbejde med Wine 4 Trade arrangeret den 7. udgave af vinudstillingen French Wine Discoveries, der blev afholdt den 17. april 2012 på den Gamle Børs i København. På denne vinmesse præsenterede 37 fremtrædende franske vinproducenter spændende kvalitetsvine fra forskellige vindistrikter. Disse vine blev smagt med stor begejstring af de ca. 200 besøgende fagfolk fra den danske vinbranche. Ved denne lejlighed havde udstillerne udvalgt deres bedste vine til et specielt arrangement, hvor den franske Ambassadør, Véronique Bujon-Barré, kunne byde velkommen til 20 af sine kolleger og præsentere mangfoldigheden og kvaliteten i udbuddet af franske vine og spiritus. Vinturismen er også en glimrende måde at udbrede kendskabet til de franske vindistrikter på. Der blev derfor trukket lod om et 2 døgns ophold i Epernay i hjertet af champagne, og vinderen af lodtrækningen blev Vinmægleren A / S.    

Now in its 19th year, Millésime Bio, the international trade show for the organic winegrowing sector, took place from 23 to 25 January 2012 in Montpellier (southern France). The trade show brought together 588 exhibitors from 13 countries, along with 3,360 visitors.   The Millésime Bio trade show has confirmed the position it holds as an international trade event of reference for the organic winegrowing sector. As a unique meeting place, both in France and worldwide, now in its 19th year, Millésime Bio welcomed numerous returning exhibitors and visitors between 23 and 25 January of this year, in the southern French city of Montpellier.   Exclusively open to organic-certified wine producers, Millésime Bio brought together 588 exhibitors from 13 countries and 3,360 visitors of 38 different nationalities. Two business conventions — one for organic wine and one for food products — were organised during the trade show by Sud de France Développement, the export-support agency for the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. These conventions attracted buyers from close to 75 companies that work in European and global markets. While France, Italy and Spain still represented the top three countries of origin among exhibitors, the number of Austrian and German exhibitors increased in 2012 on previous years. Wine traders and producers from Argentina, Egypt, South Africa and the US also returned to Millésime Bio in 2012, demonstrating the loyalty of New World players to the trade show for the third or fourth year running. The trade’s interest in organic wines was confirmed by the higher visitor attendance at the trade show, with 3,360 visitors in 2012, against 3,200 in 2011. This rise in attendance also demonstrates the dynamism of the market for organic wine, against a difficult economic background overall. Coming in increasing numbers, non-French visitors this year represented 22% of the total, headed by professionals from Benelux countries (close to 17%), Germany (13%), North America (over 12%) and Scandinavia (over 11%). Wine merchants (19%) were the main visitors to the trade show, followed by importers (13%), wine traders (over 10%) and caterers (i.e. the café, hotel and restaurant trade, under 8%).  Among the most interesting aspects of the trade show were the wine-sampling corners. There was an area named Enoteca, which is Italian for ‘wine repository’, and a Millésime Bio Challenge area. These areas enabled visitors to taste each wine being exhibited, along with the wines that received medals in the latest Millésime Bio Challenge competition. This year, the trade show also highlighted the know-how and excellence of the organic-wine offer found in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. At the sampling corner for wines labelled Sud de France, a sommelier helped visitors discover a selection of organic Languedoc-Roussillon wines that have been featured in the press or have garnered awards at various world-renowned competitions. Millésime Bio also promotes dialogue through round tables and theme-specific conferences such as the Professional Meetings about Organic Winegrowing conference. The theme of the conference this year was French Organic Winegrowing within the European Context: Conditions and Prospects.  The growth of the organic-wine market has now become an underlying trend worldwide, as illustrated by the increasing success enjoyed by Millésime Bio, year on year. This trend involves most wine-consuming countries as well as the entire range of distribution channels, including wine merchants, caterers, the mass-retail sector, and specialised networks.  About Millésime Bio   The Millésime Bio trade show was launched in 1993 by a small number of Languedoc-Roussillon winegrowers who organised it to stimulate interest in (and to encourage a constructive dialogue around) organic wine. The trade show is organised by the Association Interprofessionnelle des Vins Biologiques du Languedoc-Roussillon (AIVB-LR), the trade association for organic-wine producers in Languedoc-Roussillon. Millésime Bio is also supported financially by the European Union. The 2012 Millésime Bio trade show took place from 23 to 25 January 2012, at the Montpellier Exhibition Centre, in Montpellier (southern France).  For further information, please go to: www.millesime-bio.com  

Mere end 200 vinimportører/grossister, vinhandlere, restauratører og sommeliers deltog i Burgundy Wine Tour 2012, der blev arrangeret af det Regionale Handels- og Industrikammer i Bourgogne i samarbejde med den franske Ambassades Handelsafdeling - UBIFRANCE, som fandt sted på Hotel Marriotts flotte lokaler den 9. februar 2012. Det var en vigtig vinsmagning, hvor 23 vinproducenter og forhandlere præsenterede over 300 forskellige Bourgognevin, herunder også de berømte 1er og grand cru vine. Forud for denne vinsmagning, blev der afholdt et vinseminar af Sopexa Danmark i samarbejde med sammenslutningen af vinproducenter i Bourgogne, BIVB. For at vide mere om : - producenter, der søger en importør i Danmark, venligst kontakt Axel BREGLIANO på telefon + 45 33 37 61 91 - vine fra Bourgogne : www.bourgognevine.dk

The VEGEPOLYS competitiveness cluster, the organisers of the SIVAL trade show, and fresh-produce magazine Réussir Fruits et Légumes of France have launched a major Europe-wide competition with the goal of encouraging varietal innovation in fresh produce. Open to all breeders of fruit and vegetables in Europe, the 2012 competition has rewarded Fleuron d’Anjou with the Gold Prize for its Melkior organically certified shallot seedlings. Melkior shallots will be exhibited on the VEGEPOLYS stand at Fruit Logistica in Berlin, between 8 and 10 February 2012. VEGEPOLYS is the cluster of technological excellence in the plants sector that is based in Angers, in Western France. Its role is to promote innovation among businesses, research centres and training facilities in the plant market both in France and internationally, especially in terms of varietal innovation. The Melkior shallot will be displayed on the VEGEPOLYS stand at the Fruit Logistica trade show, the world’s leading trade fair for fresh fruit and vegetables, which will take place in Berlin (Germany) from 8 to 10 February 2012. Melkior shallots represent a genuine innovation in the vegetable species. The variety, which has been certified as organic, was created by Agri-Obtentions, a producer of innovative plant varieties. Melkior is the first shallot to be resistant to mildew, which is the main fungal parasite to attack leafy plants. This resistance to mildew is of importance both to amateur gardeners, who are wary of using pesticides due to their harmful effects, and to professional farmers, such as organic-shallot producers, who frequently experience severe problems as a result of mildew. Seeking to satisfy gardening enthusiasts, Fleuron d’Anjou intends to multiply the initial Melkior seedlings, while remaining within the specifications of the AB guarantee (i.e. the French organic-farming certification), therefore moving the shallot further along the path to sustainable development. The Melkior variety’s bulb is of the round, mid-length variety. It is firm, with a fairly dark colour and a shiny appearance. In terms of cultivation, it is planted in late February or early March, for an early July harvest. Its vegetation is quite powerful, which is conducive to good ripeness. Finally, the Melkior variety has a high dry-matter content and will keep until April or May, while remaining free of any preservatives, since it is organic. The product is available to users as of 2012 in 500g string bags, bearing a tag indicating that is was grown organically and carrying the blue label from the Groupement National Interprofessionnel des Semences et Plants (or GNIS, the French Inter-professional Seed and Plant Association), which guarantees its varietal purity and its hygiene quality. About Fleuron d’Anjou Fleuron d’Anjou is one of the leading French companies specialising in the production and commercialisation of fruit and vegetables, along with flowers and plants. The company will attend the Fruit Logistica trade show in Berlin (Germany) between 8 and 10 February 2012 (Hall 22, Booth C-13). About VEGEPOLYS VEGEPOLYS is a cluster of excellence that regroups plant companies and leading expert organisations from Pays-de-la-Loire (in Western France), such as INRA (the French National Institute for Agricultural Research), Agrocampus Ouest INHP (the Institute for Life, Food, Horticultural Sciences and Landscaping), and Angers University. As part of VEGEPOLYS, lead agencies play an important role, including the Angers CPVO (Community Plant Variety Office), for registering varieties onto the European catalogue. VEGEPOLYS develops projects that take into account current and expected changes in society worldwide, which means that it favours the development of environmentally friendly plant varieties that contribute towards human wellbeing. More particularly, VEGEPOLYS covers issues such as plant-variety innovation; the sanitary quality of seeds and plants; and, also, the design and development of urban and suburban landscapes. VEGEPOLYS will be present at the Fruit Logistica trade show in Berlin (Germany) from 8 to 10 February 2012. It will showcase the Melkior shallot on its stand (Hall 22, Booth B-06) at the event. For further information about Réussir Fruits et Légumes, please go to: www.reussirfl.com For further information about SIVAL, please go to: www.sival-angers.com     For further information about Fruit Logistica, please go to: www.fruitlogistica.de/en    For further information about Fleuron d’Anjou, please go to: www.fleurondanjou.fr    For further information about VEGEPOLYS, please go to: www.vegepolys.eu

The Nord-Pas-de-Calais region (in northern France) will host the Welcome to Northern France pavilion at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2012. The trade show, dedicated to the fresh-produce sector, will take place from 8 to 10 February 2012 at the Messe Berlin exhibition centre in the German capital and is expected to welcome 56,000 visitors from over 130 countries. The 400m² Welcome to Northern France pavilion (in Hall 22, Booth F14) will host 17 French companies presenting their region’s fresh produce or their packaging/logistics know-how. The Nord-Pas-de-Calais region offers many benefits to businesses, including its prime location, close to Brussels, London and Paris. (The Eurostar journey from London to Lille takes 90 minutes.) Nord-Pas-de-Calais ranks third among French food-growing regions, with the sector’s turnover set to reach €11.5 billion in 2011. A third of all potatoes produced in France are grown in the region, which ranks first nationally for endives, second for onions, and third for cauliflowers, in terms of volumes produced. Among the new features on the Nord–Pas-de-Calais pavilion will be T&B Vergers’ new Quality Guarantee, which ensures full traceability of fruit from the place of production to its dispatch through the channels of distribution. Verduyn will introduce its two new packaging modes — in punnets or in P-Plus packages of more than a kilo — as well as a new range of knife-peeled carrots. Bayard Distribution will present its upscale brand of potatoes and introduce a new microwavable package, and NEGONOR will showcase a new range of organic potatoes for making chips or mash. To enhance the visitor experience on the pavilion, there will also be a daily showcase by a chef using produce from the Nord–Pas-de-Calais region. The full list of exhibitors on the Welcome to Northern France pavilion is as follows. Further information is available on the websites that have been listed and can also be provided upon request. Agrochange is a potato brokerage company which works with over 600 producers in France ( www.agrochange.com ). Bayard Distribution, already mentioned, produces and distributes potatoes ( www.bayard-distribution.com ). Olivier Négoce is a potato trading specialist ( www.oliviernegoce.fr ), and Condilys, for its part, has been trading in potatoes since 2003. Lucas Lemaire is a   family-run company trading in potatoes and onions ( www.lucaslemaire.com ). NEGONOR ( www.negonor.com ), already mentioned, and Verpom ( www.verpom.com ) are both specialists in potatoes and onions. Wecxsteen is a company that is also active in the potato market in northern France ( www.groupe-wecxsteen.com ). Perle du Nord has been a specialist in endives for the past 20 years ( www.perledunord.com ), whereas T&B Vergers, already mentioned, trades in (and packages) both apples and pears ( www.tbvergers.fr ). Verduyn, mentioned above in this press release, prepares fresh vegetables ( www.verduyn.fr ), while Wostin is a bean-sprout specialist ( www.wostin.fr ). For its part, PICVERT produces, packages and markets baby leaves for a range of salads ( www.picvert.info ) Klim Top Controls provides refrigerating equipment ( www.klimtop.eu ), while Dunfresh, which is based in the port of Dunkirk, specialises in temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics         ( www.conhexa.com/dunfresh_eng.htm ) The Nord-Pas-de-Calais pavilion will also showcase the Port of Dunkirk, the second most important French port for trade with Britain ( www.portdedunkerque.fr ), as well as Agence Maritime Rommel PLC, an expert in international logistics based in northern France (www.amragency.com). About Nord-Pas-de-Calais The Nord-Pas-de-Calais region will host the Welcome to Northern France pavilion at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2012 at the Messe Berlin exhibition centre, in Berlin (Germany), from 8 to 10 February 2012. The pavilion will be situated in Hall 22, Booth F14. A comprehensive exhibitor catalogue is available upon request from Ms Katherine Woods, Press Officer, or from the Welcome to Northern France pavilion. For further information about Nord-Pas-de-Calais, please go to: www.cci-international.net For further information about Fruit Logistica 2012, please go to: www.fruitlogistica.de/en/

Cahors Malbec Touren blev afholdt den 16. november i det Thottske Palæ, den Franske Ambassades residens på Kgs. Nytorv, i tilstedeværelse af Hans Kongelige Højhed Prinsgemalen og Frankrigs Ambassadør Véronique Bujon-Barré. Før vinsmagningen holdt Jeremy Arnaud, Marketingdirektør i Sammenslutningen af Vinproducenter i Cahors (UIVC) samt Alain Janicot et foredrag om vinene fra Cahors området. De mange danske fagfolk (importører, agenter, distributører) samt journalister fik lejlighed til at smage forskellige typer Cahors-vin fra 11 producenter, som glæder sig over de stigende salgstal på det danske marked de sidste måneder.