A major region for wine-growing and cereal crops

World-renowned for its wine – 30% of which is exported – the region also produces a large quantity of cereal grains, and is the home to several major innovation centers.

A major cereal-crop region, with over 60% of its surface devoted to agriculture – Centre-Val de Loire is home to a divers agriculture-and-food industry that emphasizes exports.¹ The principal destination market is the United Kingdom, followed by Germany and Belgium.²

Three types of products had a surplus trade balance in 2017: beverages, with Monin, the world leader in high-end syrups,³ pet food – with the presence of the American multinational Mars Petcare,⁴ and finally,⁵ dairy products, with Laiteries H. Triballat, best known for their Rians brand.

In order to unite all of the players (producers, artisans, processors, etc.) with a single visual identity, last December, the Region launched the “© du Centre,” for meticulously selected products.

Thanks to the presence of digital incubators, like AgreenTech Valley, dedicated to digital technologies for plants, and the Food Val de Loire agri-food pole, Centre-Val de Loire is a pilot region in terms of innovation in terms of agriculture and the food industry.

The region boasts several world-famous wines, including Sancerre, Vouvray, Bourgueil and Chinon, and the sector⁶ stands out for its quality labels: 90% of Centre-Val de Loire wines have an Appellation d’Origine Protégée, as opposed to 66% nationally. One third of the wine production is exported, essentially to the United States (40% by volume), the United Kingdom (20%) and Canada (7%).⁷

To assist small- and medium-sized businesses in developing exports, the Region offers individual subsidies⁸ as well as financing group actions like trade-fair participation, meetings with buyers, and other promotional events organized by Dev’Up, the regional economic-development agency.

The Region has also committed to ecological transition via its “Ambition Bio 2022” (“Ambition: Organic 2022) plan. The goal is 15% of total cultivated area under organic or in conversion within the next two years, as opposed to just 3.2% in 2018.⁹

Key figures of Centre-Val de Loire region

The Centre-Val de Loire region exported for 1 billion euros worth of agricultural and food industries products in 2017, 1/3 of total revenue.
The principals destinations markets are United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany.
Centre-Val de Loire is the fourth largest French region for cereal crops, 12% of national production.
Centre-Val de Loire is the third largest AOC-PDO wine-growing region (the region has 22 PDO and 2 PGI).
90% of the region’s wines benefit from an Appellation d’Origine Protégée.
224,093 of wine were exported in 2018 (6 million gallons), 30% of production.
Centre-Val de Loire provided 60% of the country’s production (in 2017).
PDO Goat-cheese has 5 appellations.
Centre-Val de Loire wants to increase by x5 the total cultivated area under organic or in conversion fivefold within the next two years and have 15% of its arable land under organic.

1 – The agri-food industries exported products with a total value of €1 billion in 2017, accounting for a third of total revenue.

2 – Source: French Customs Agency

3 – The firm export 25 million bottles a year

4 – Which owns the Pedigree, Whiskas, Sheba, Kitekat and Canigou brands

5 – Source: Centre-Val de la Loire French Customs Agency

6 – The sector generated €126 million in revenue in 2017.

7 – Dev’Up

8 – Such as the Volet Export scheme, which offers subsidies covering up to 50% of expenses related to conquering new markets (up to €20,000)

9 – Organic Agency 2018