First harvest of tomatoes CMF Europe almost a fact

The tomato harvest in the new 17 hectare (42 acre) greenhouse complex at Mont Saint-Michel has started.

Havecon built this cultivation facility for CMF Europe.

France imports a significant volume of tomatoes every year to meet consumer demand. The production of new greenhouses dedicated to the favorite French vegetables is therefore good news. CMF Cultures, the CMF Groupe (based in Varades, Loire-Atlantique, France), which specializes in the construction of cultivation and research greenhouses for horticulture and vegetable growing, has recently had a tomato greenhouse of over 42 acres built. The plants in this greenhouse together produce the impressive number of 10,000 tonnes of tomatoes per year.

CMF was selected to build, together with partner Havecon, a Venlo greenhouse with the most modern irrigation system, packaging hall, three CHP installations and a technical room for boilers and electrical equipment. The high-tech diffusion glass ensures better light distribution and guarantees optimum temperature control.

Short project specifications:
- Growing space with an area of ​​17 hectare
- Technical area and corridor: 3360 m2
- Packaging area with cold storage, with an area of ​​4,725 m2
- 12MW boiler in combination with three combined heat and power installations (combined heat and power). The CHP systems generate 12MW of electricity and two 1,500 m3 of heat storage units make it possible to save energy.

Tomato production in France:
- France is in 5th place with 624,500 tonnes of tomatoes per year, one of the largest European producers
- The French tomato use is 850,000 tons; that is why France imports 225 500 tonnes of tomatoes per year.
- The average annual consumption of fresh vegetables by the French is 15 kg.