Seeds without fungicide: a process from the Nordic countries

Céline Canet, Operations Manager of Epilor, since 2006. Photo ER / Martine SCHOENSTEIN

The company Epilor, based in Dieulouard (54), between Nancy and Metz, specialized in the production of seeds, has just acquired a process created in Sweden, intended to preserve seeds without any phytosanitary product. A first in France in the field of large grain farming!

Céline Canet, operating director of Epilor, a company specializing in the production of cereal seeds, based in Dieulouard (54) between Nancy and Metz, is proud of her new investment. And it is not today that it trots in the head! Sensitized to the responsible economy, sustainable agriculture and bio, the director has heard of a new process developed in Sweden since 2006. "This is a high-precision heat treatment, resulting from the pasteurization, carried out on cereal seeds and combining heat, moisture and then drying. This process, which allows disinfection of seeds by eliminating molds and diseases intrinsic to the seed, has the enormous advantage of replacing the phytosanitary products used until now. "

So, after going around the question with its shareholders "who are also my clients," smiles Céline Canet, citing cooperatives in the Lorraine region CAL (Cooperative agricultural Lorraine), LORCA (Lorraine cereals supply) and GPB (Groupement wheat producers), the operations manager finally embarked on the adventure. Epilor invested in the famous machine for the tidy sum of 1.5 M €. It has been operational in Dieulouard since June. Not without having done tests in advance, for two years, always in agreement with its shareholders, to verify the merits of this process. "The result is the same," says the young woman, recalling that in the agricultural sector "the less we use phytosanitary products and more we get subsidies from the state. "

So it's all good for everyone! Especially since, again, Céline Canet does not hide her pride to announce: "Machines like this one, there are very few installed: three in Sweden, two in Norway, one in the United States and one in France for six months. More precisely in Normandy in a company that produces flax seeds for textiles. As a result, Epilor is positioning itself as the first in France in the field of large grain farming! The stated goal is currently to achieve 10% of production with this new process. The total production of Epilor represents 12,500 tons per year.

To celebrate this, the company whose turnover amounts to € 6 million, prepares the inauguration of its new machine, scheduled for Wednesday, October 16 at 11 am. "This inauguration will take place after our first production with this new process", summarizes Céline Canet. It intends to "drive a new environmental approach", by unveiling its new machine to many guests, including the three cooperating partners, the Swedes who filed the process and the Dutch who created the machine. "It will also be an opportunity to organize open doors for future clients and neighboring cooperatives. "