Order your Fresh Garlic
Bulbiverse, a specialist wholesale supplier of Fresh Garlic , provides traders and wholesalers with a professional range of fresh garlic from the best sources. Buying your Fresh Garlic means access to a rigorous selection, cultivated by specialist market gardeners and adapted to the requirements of the fresh market. Our products combine professional quality , varietal resistance and high yield , with a neat and calibrated presentation for resale. Available in whole heads, bunches or ready-to-use peeled formats, they meet the flow of wholesale markets, food service circuits and distributors. Our fast and careful delivery throughout France , combined with a responsive sales department , guarantees smooth management of your supplies. Benefit from producer prices , controlled stock, and personalized advice for your seasonal campaigns. Order now or request a free quote according to your volumes and logistics schedules.
Dynamics of the French fresh garlic market
The French fresh garlic market is showing constant growth with national production increasing significantly, from 28,000 tonnes in 2022 to 29,485 tonnes in 2023 , with encouraging projections of 31,000 tonnes for 2025. Cultivated areas are following the same upward trend, increasing from 3,900 to 4,350 hectares over the same period.
This positive dynamic remains nuanced because France remains a net importer of fresh garlic . Despite a gradual improvement in the trade deficit, with a 12% drop in imports and a 4% increase in exports in 2023 , the country still depends mainly on imports, particularly from Spain ( 67.1% of imported volumes ), China ( 18.9% ) and Argentina ( 7.1% ).
French garlic consumption is estimated at between 35,000 and 40,000 tonnes per year , representing approximately 300 to 500 grams per household annually . The French self-sufficiency rate is around 65% , meaning that approximately one-third of national consumption is covered by imports. Professional buyers are primarily looking for a diversified and high-quality offer , capable of meeting their specific needs throughout the year.
Fresh Garlic Varieties Preferred by Professionals
The French fresh garlic market is characterized by a diversity of varieties, each prized for its specific taste and culinary qualities. Traders and professionals have a strong preference for varieties offering precocity, quality and commercial potential .
Purple garlic: balance and precocity
Purple garlic, particularly the Germidour variety, is the most widely grown variety in France in terms of surface area. It is highly sought after for its perfect balance between power and refined taste , as well as its firm and slightly melting texture. Germidour is the benchmark for the AOC Ail violet de Cadours , recognized since 2017, a major asset on the fresh market.
Its versatility is a considerable advantage for professionals, allowing it to be sold fresh, semi-dry or dry. Traders also appreciate its slightly spicy taste and its good adaptation to clay soils, as well as the fact that it is free from the OYDV virus , guaranteeing reliable production. On wholesale markets such as the MIN in Rungis, Cadours Purple Garlic enjoys particular recognition.
White garlic: power and conservation
White garlic varieties, such as Messidrome and Messidor , occupy a significant place in French production. These varieties are appreciated for their powerful and pungent flavor , as well as for their excellent storage capacity.
Messidor , originally from the Drôme, is distinguished by a rather mild taste and good precocity, with a harvest from the end of May to July , a high yield and good winter resistance. Messidrome , also of the "Blanc de la Drôme" type, offers similar qualities in terms of yield and quality. These varieties are well suited to sale as dry and semi-dry varieties, but can also be sold fresh.
Pink garlic: sweetness and finesse
Less represented in terms of cultivated areas, pink garlic is nevertheless highly sought after for its mild and slightly sweet flavor . Pink garlic from Tarn , particularly the 'Rose de Lautrec' variety, which benefits from a Label Rouge and a PGI, is particularly valued on the fresh market for its taste quality and long shelf life .
Ultra-early varieties: seasonal advantage
For fresh garlic specifically, traders favor ultra-early varieties that allow them to spread out the marketing season. Primor is a dominant reference thanks to its exceptional precocity, reaching maturity around three weeks before Germidour , with a harvest from the end of April.
Précosem is an interesting alternative, being also a very early autumn garlic variety, allowing fresh sales from May. This combination of ultra-early varieties with later varieties allows for a supply of fresh French garlic to be maintained over an extended period .
Importance of quality and origin signs
Differentiation through official quality marks (SIQO) is a major asset in the garlic market. France has five garlic production sites under SIQO :
- Pink garlic from Lautrec (Label Rouge and PGI)
- White garlic from Lomagne (PGI)
- Garlic from Drôme (PGI)
- Smoked garlic from Arleux (PGI)
- Purple garlic from Cadours (PDO)
These labels enhance the product, guarantee its origin and quality , and reassure professional buyers. Products under SIQO generally sell for more and generate significant interest from buyers, proving that French origin is well valued thanks to these distinctive varieties.
Popular forms of marketing in the fresh market
The French garlic market is dominated by dried garlic in fillets, representing 55% of sales . However, for fresh garlic, which constitutes approximately 20% of the market , certain forms of marketing are particularly sought after by professionals.
Fresh garlic is characterized by bulbs harvested before full maturation, between March, April and May , offering a more tender texture and a less pronounced flavor than dried garlic. It is particularly in demand during its availability period, from June to July .
Whole calibrated heads
For professional buyers, whole heads (complete bulbs) are the most commonly sold form. They are calibrated by diameter and sold in bulk, often in 5 or 10 kg boxes , or in pre-packaged fillets for mass distribution. Traders prefer large sizes (60-80 mm) for their ease of working and peeling in catering.
Bunches of new garlic
At the beginning of the season (June-July), bunched garlic , also called "new garlic" or "fresh garlic in leaves", is sold with its green stem and roots. It has a milder flavor and a high water content, but its shelf life is very limited (only a few days). This product is quickly sold after harvest, mainly at wholesale markets.
Peeled and packaged garlic
There is a growing demand for peeled and packaged garlic , particularly from the catering industry, the food industry and some wholesalers. This "fourth range" includes vacuum-packed peeled garlic, frozen garlic puree or buckets of ready-to-use cloves. These products offer considerable time savings in the kitchen and restaurateurs value the aromatic quality of fresh, ready-to-use garlic.
Seasonality and supply: managing flows for a continuous supply
Seasonality is a determining factor for fresh garlic. Although garlic can be sold year-round in France thanks to the staggered origins, garlic of French origin is seasonal.
French harvests generally begin in mid-June in the Southeast (Drôme, Vaucluse) and in late June-July in the Southwest (Occitanie). The new harvest arrives on the market from July-August. Summer and early autumn see an influx of "new" French garlic, which is then dried or cured for longer preservation.
During the fall and winter, dried French garlic remains available on shelves until the end of the year, with a peak in December for the holidays. However, French stocks decrease during the winter, and the national supply becomes significantly scarce at the end of the season (January-February).
In spring, there is a slow period for French origin , as there is no more fresh French produce available after March-April. This is when imports occur massively to ensure a continuous supply. From March to June , the garlic consumed in France is mainly imported, before the cycle reverses again in July-August with the arrival of national production.
French operators are making efforts to extend the availability of local garlic, for example through negative cold storage to slow germination, but it remains difficult to cover the months of April to June without resorting to foreign sources.
To summarize: Our Fresh Garlic from Fresh Garlic
Bulbiverse , a specialist garlic wholesale supplier , supports professionals in the trade and distribution sector by offering them a high-performance, perfectly calibrated fresh garlic range for resale channels. Whether in bunches of new garlic, whole heads sorted by size, or ready-to-use peeled cloves, our formats adapt to each channel: MIN, regional wholesalers, purchasing centers, specialized markets. You can buy garlic directly from the producer with a high level of freshness, regularity, and traceability. Our logistics cover the French season from June to December and then rely on selected import batches to guarantee continuous availability. As a specialist wholesale supplier of Fresh Garlic , we integrate the major technical criteria expected by the market: skin quality, absence of germination, uniform size, and good transport resistance. Our batches are prepared in certified stations, with packaging suitable for professional handling. With Bulbiverse , buying garlic becomes a structured, reliable and optimized process according to your volume, seasonality and logistics constraints. Our team supports you with responsiveness and expertise throughout the campaign, and helps you to enhance your purchases thanks to a selection c
