Interviews

Mr David Dumas - General Manager, HELIOTHERMA
Exhibiting at SITEVI in the new Renewable Energy zone - Hall 14

Could you describe your business in a few words?
We have been in the solar energy market for three years now. To be more precise, we are photovoltaic installers providing turnkey solutions in the Languedoc Roussillon region. We have now installed over 80 solar systems of all sizes, so have great experience in the sector. We responding to strong demand from the agricultural sector by exhibiting technical solutions suited to this highly specific market.

Why have you chosen SITEVI?
We thought the new zone dedicated to Renewable Energy was too good an opportunity to miss! Farmers are now demanding renewable energy solutions to equip their farms, buildings and homes; SITEVI will give us a chance to meet them and give them maximum information on our products so that we can offer them a tailor-made solution (finance, studies, choice of materials, installations and monitoring).

How would you define SITEVI?
For us, SITEVI is a trade show where we can meet farmers who are already well-informed on what's new in renewable energy, right here in the heart of Languedoc-Roussillon!

Mr Francis MOINEREAU - "Agri" Sales Director at TEXINOV
In attendance at SITEVI in the Fruit and Vegetable area - Hall 13 & 14

Could you give us a brief overview of your business and tell us why you are exhibiting at SITEVI 2009?
As a company we are specialized in the design and production of applied textile techniques for various agricultural sectors, including vegetable farming, horticulture, nurseries, winegrowing and fruit farming.
We provide farmers - for example - with anti-insect nets, climate shelters, heat shields or canopy layers (greenhouses).

We are already very familiar with SITEVI, having exhibited there a few years ago, and now we would like to use it again as an opportunity to unveil our new products - such as our "new generation" nets and - more generally - our other turnkey solutions.

What are you hoping to achieve this year?
Our targets for 2009/2010 are very clear!
- First and foremost, we would like to increase our presence at international level, particularly in southern Europe and the Mediterranean countries. And it is obvious that an international exhibition such as SITEVI will provide us with a specialized visitor base that goes a long way to meeting these objectives.
- Our presence is also in line with the process that the exhibition is initiating to develop the Fruit and Vegetable sectors. We are mainly looking to answer the needs of vegetable and fruit farmers looking for solutions for their farms, while at the same time reinforcing our range of products for winegrowers (for example, a system for protecting vines from hail).

What is it that will make visitors want to meet you?
I would say that we provide a "technical" asset!
As a company that is constantly on the lookout for innovative solutions that are better adapted and less harmful to the environment, we are in a position to advise visitors, guide them and help them put together their development projects.

SITEVI in brief...
"A solution for everyone!"

Mr Pierre Scohy - Director of the Cave Coopérative des Coteaux du Pic
Previous SITEVI visitor

Would you describe the Cave des Coteaux du Pic for us in a few words?
Our company is the result of a merger between three wine cellars: Saint Mathieu de Tréviers, Valflaunès and Notre Dame de Londres. We are located at the heart of the Pic Saint Loup appellation with a production area of 1000 hectares and our own bottling facility.
We export more than 50% of our bottles, mainly to northern Europe and we are starting to expand into Asia and the US. In fact, we've increased our sales this year!

The SITEVI programme includes a visit to your wine cellar. What can people expect to see on this tour?
By choosing this visit, they will discover the first cooperative wine cellar to produce its own electricity in Languedoc Roussillon. We've installed 1,200 sq.m. of photovoltaic panels and produce enough electricity to power the equivalent of 71 French households! We have been linked to the grid since February 2009 and resell all of the electricity we produce. I will therefore be inviting them to taste good quality wine produced in environmentally-friendly conditions!

Why did you choose to install these photovoltaic panels?
This installation is part of our overall environmentally-friendly production strategy. For several years, we have been working on effluent processing, on environmentally-friendly wine-growing and, more recently, on organic production. Setting up these panels was the logical thing to do and it's more ecological than wind energy.

Mr André Barlier, Director of Markets, Research and Forward Planning at FranceAgriMer

"The sector dedicated to fruits and vegetables - products intended for consumption in fresh form as well as industrial processing - is constantly changing. New varieties, adaptations for plant health protection, innovative production modes... everything is being done to meet a demand on the move. Driven by an increasing awareness of health benefits, fruit and vegetable consumption is on the rise. The sector must also adapt to changes in consumer habits, such as the trend toward simplifying a meal into a single dish and a reduction in the time devoted to food shopping and preparation.

The French fruit and vegetable sector faces an essentially European competition, with the addition of Morocco and Turkey for certain products, as well as southern-hemisphere countries for apples and pears. The competition is tough but the French sector enjoys many advantages in terms of both workforce and technology. FranceAgriMer is fine-tuning and deploying an international competition watch to assess and compare the strengths and weaknesses of the countries that produce high-demand fruits and vegetables."