An essential sector

Key figures

Farms producing lavender and/or lavandin :

Number of lavender farms in France : 2 500 farms                       

Plantations (Source : CPPARM, 2009)

Lavandin 

In 2008, approximately 15 200 ha of lavandin were listed. The Grosso variety represents 11 900 ha (nearly 79 % of surface areas), Super 1 400 ha, Abrial 1200 ha and Sumian 700 ha.

The distribution per department of lavandin plantations: 8000 ha for the Alpes de Haute-Provence, 4 200 ha for the Drôme, 2 200 ha for the Vaucluse and 800 ha in the other departments.

The Grosso plantations are ageing: only 25 % of the surface areas are under 3 years old and 55 % of them are more than 7 years old.

Lavender 

In 2008, the surface areas listed represented 3 500 ha distributed over 1 800 ha of clonal lavender and 1 700 ha of popular lavender. Per department, there are 1 600 ha in the Vaucluse, 1 000 ha in the Alpes de Haute-Provence, 800 ha in the Drôme and 100 ha in the other departments

Volumes : (Source : CIHEF, 2010)

•  Volumes of essential oils harvested from lavender: 33 tonnes in 2010 (90 tonnes in 2005) 
• Volumes of essential oils harvested from lavandin: 950 tonnes all varieties in 2010

The share of quantities produced in so called « secondary » varieties is decreasing in favour of Grosso.

• To find out more about world trade: see economic
  

 

A few figures for organic farming: (Source : Agence Bio, 2009)

Lavandin 

• Estimated tonnage in 2009: 50 tonnes of lavandin essential oil
• Surface areas of approved organic lavandin: 719 ha Total surface areas:  1271 ha
• Surface areas of lavandin in the course of conversion: 552 ha
• Distribution of surface areas: 510 ha in PACA, 669 ha in Rhône-Alpes
• Progression of approved surface areas and in the course of conversion since 2008: + 11 %

Lavender

• Estimated tonnage in 2009: 10 tonnes of lavender essential oil
• Surface areas of organic approved lavender: 740 ha Total surface areas: 912 ha
• Surface areas of lavandin in the course of conversion: 172 ha
• Distribution of surface areas: 448 ha in PACA, 428 ha in Rhône-Alpes
• Progression of approved surface areas and in the course of conversion since 2008: + 3 % 

Turnover of sector: (Source: Onippam, 2007)

 2006 Gross annual turnover on production: 4 million euros for lavender 15 million euros for lavandin