“An artisanal unit which could function easily in your country”, underlined Jean-Yves Heuser, the manager met formerly “within France Africa Université at the time of a conference on the technology transfers between North and the South. Started in 1983 and employing today seven people, the company bouzonvilloise works regularly with the African continent. “At the beginning, one did not start with local fruits before being interested in the exotic fruits”, explained the person in charge for manufacture, Raymond Kerber. “Starting from the data of the Institute of agronomic research of Montpellier, we could for example work out this electric pasteurizer intended for Kenya”, specifies it by indicating a gray block of reasonable size. If it borders between 80 and 82 degrees for apples and pears, the pasteurization of mangos, guavas and other pineapples indeed requires a minimal temperature of 84°. It goes from there from the quality of the fruit juice which this chain “from 20 to 30 liters produces rightly per hour”. An output which has nothing to do with that of industry. “It is desired. Little automated, our line allows, in the event of problem, a breakdown service on the spot, with spare parts which one can find in Africa or in other countries.
“To adapt new technologies”
A few kilometers further, another initiative highly interested Joseph Kiticki-Kouamba. Concerned “to lead the populations to adapt new technologies to satisfy the needs for the present generations and future, while being based on the resources naturelles>, the minister went to the workshop of production of fruit juice and to the distilling of Volmerange-les-Boulay. Perhaps “Their trade-union operation could be taken again on your premise”, then pointed out the mayor Gerard Vecrigner. President of this arboricolous trade union, Philippe Hestroffer in pointed out the history: “Our objective first was to preserve a maximum of trees around the villages. To develop plum, cherry, the mirabelle plum, possibly nut, by first of all making some alcohol within the limit of the reasonable one. Each member learned how to distill, by respecting the regulation imposed by the customs”. This team of voluntary will not stop there. “On the same principle, one created the apple juice workshop so that each person can take part in the manufacture of her own juice. That is to say 100 to 130 L/day, while discussing the acidity of apples, the sugar which would have to be added. That made two years that one turns and one has 150 members.” Extremely of this success, the trade union does not forget any therefore the orchard for schoolboys “where the children plant, cut, put of the manure”, the 10 ares of vines and the 300 trees that these goodwills have “a little evil to maintain”. The protection of the trees precisely belonged to the stakes of the Natural reserve of Lorraine represented by Daniel Beguin, present also in its capacity of vice-president of the Regional Council, Laurent Godé and Anne Vivier, come to exchange with the minister. The initiative of the arboricolous trade union of Volmerange-les-Boulay could be also a way to follow for the latter “in order to maintain the orchards in the paysage>. As many ideas, of “knowledge” that Joseph Kiticki-Kouamba hopes well to exploit on his side him too.
V.D.
Appeared it: 08/04/04 (Saint-Avold/Boulay) - REPUBLICAN LORRAINE