Omer-Decugis & SEMMARIS to Build 25,000 m² Fresh Fruit Hub at Dunkirk Port

Omer-Decugis & Cie, a group specialising in fresh and exotic fruit and vegetables, and SEMMARIS, the operator of the Rungis International Market, have announced a joint project to build a 25,000 m² facility for the storage, ripening, packaging and preparation of fresh fruit at the port of Dunkirk. The hub is scheduled to open in late 2027 and represents a combined investment of 47–49 million euros (52.6–54.8 million USD) for the two partners.

Facility scope and capacity

The Dunkirk site will bring together several operations under one roof:

• A 55-chamber ripening facility, described by the group as the largest in France, with a processing capacity of over 200,000 cartons per week.
• A temperature-controlled cold-storage area with a capacity of 4,000 pallets.
• Contract-packaging equipment allowing products to be prepared and packaged to customer specifications.
• A 6,000 m² fresh-cut plant, for which Omer-Decugis & Cie is partnering with PrepWorld, a subsidiary of the British group BerryWorld that specialises in fresh-fruit preparation. The plant is expected to produce nearly 60 million fruit trays per year for the French market.

With the new facility, Omer-Decugis & Cie plans to increase its overall ripening capacity for bananas, mangoes and avocados from 174,000 to 324,000 tons, an increase of 150,000 tons. The Dunkirk site will complement the group's existing operations in Rungis and in Sorgues, Vaucluse department. With these three sites, the group aims to establish France's leading ripening network while strengthening its coverage of the domestic market and its access to Northern European markets. The development forms part of Omer-Decugis's 2025–2030 strategic plan, which includes the expansion of its distribution and ripening capacities.

Investment split and funding

Responsibilities and capital are divided between the two partners. SEMMARIS, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, will fund the property component at 37 million euros (41.4 million USD). Omer-Decugis & Cie will lease the platform and be responsible for its day-to-day operation. The group will finance the technical installations and equipment at an estimated 10–12 million euros (11.2–13.4 million USD), spread over the coming years, drawing on its own resources and a syndicated loan agreed in July 2026.

Context: the Rungis–Dunkirk agro-logistics agreement

The partnership is the first initiative announced under an agreement signed on 8 July 2026 between SEMMARIS and Dunkirk-Port, aimed at developing an agro-logistics hub linking the port of Dunkirk with the Rungis International Market. The stated aim is to place logistics infrastructure as close as possible to the points of entry for goods, facilitating their handling and onward transport to Rungis and to French and European markets. Omer-Decugis & Cie, which has a long-standing presence in Rungis, is the first partner to announce a concrete project under the framework.

The choice of Dunkirk is underpinned by the port's infrastructure, which is described as France's leading port for fruit and vegetable imports. Key assets include the Terminal des Flandres, equipped for temperature-controlled cargo, on-site customs and phytosanitary inspection services, and road, rail and river connections.

© Omer-Decugis & Cie

For more information:

Omer-Decugis & Cie Tel: +33 (0) 1 45 12 29 60 Email: [email protected] www.omerdecugis.com