On Friday 26 February, early in the morning, one German and approximately 30 Dutch chicory forcers departed on a day trip to Hoquet Graines in Raillencourt, France. We had a comfortable coach at our disposal, the layout of which was perfect for us to have discussions with one another. Right from the beginning, the mood was very good. At around 11.00 AM, we arrived at the chicory breeders Hoquet Graines, where we received an extremely hospitable welcome from the Hoquet family.

Two company visits

Following a quick snack and our first glass of wine (!) or coffee, we departed for the first visit to Endiverie Dupont. At the time of our visit, this company was still producing an excellent crop of Atlas chicory. Endiverie Dupont produces approx. 75 ha of chicory, almost throughout the year. The root yield mainly takes place on leased plots.
Following lunch with meat, lots of meat, we visited Endiverie Gosselet, a chicory forcing company with a capacity of approx. 55 ha. Here too we saw a beautiful, even almost youthful crop of Atlas. This company grows approximately 50% of its chicory roots on leased land. The remaining 50% is purchased through contracts.

Less chicory in the summer

This year, as a result of the poor summer prices during past years, various chicory forcers have decided to reduce the summer production somewhat. Because of the moderate root production of last year, this bit of voluntary reduction has turned out to be higher. Expectations are that, because of this, the summer production in France will be significantly lower than last year.

Hoquet variety presentation

Following the interesting company visits, it was time for the variety presentation at the Hoquet family's company. Here, various new varieties and numbers were presented and expertly and comprehensively explained by Stéphane Hoquet. The variety comparisons of Baccara and OK-7F were extremely impressive. Furthermore, we were allowed a glimpse into the future, with the initial results of two brand-new CMS hybrids for late forcing that we will be testing during the coming season in the Netherlands.
Following a closing argument by Stéphane Hoquet, at 6.30 PM we were asked by our driver to make our way back to the coach. It was high time to depart. After a meal upon arrival in the Netherlands, the evening was closed in Breda at around 11.00 PM.