Omer-Decugis and Semmaris to Build 25,000 sqm Fresh-Fruit Platform at Port of Dunkirk

Dunkirk, France — French fresh-produce group Omer-Decugis & Cie has signed a strategic partnership with Semmaris, the operator of the Rungis International Market, to build a platform for storing, packaging, ripening and preparing fresh fruit at the Port of Dunkirk. The company said the site is expected to open at the end of 2027.

The 25,000 sqm platform will house 55 ripening rooms, a temperature-controlled storage area for 4,000 pallets and a 6,000 sqm fresh-cutting plant, according to Omer-Decugis. The group said ripening capacity is expected to rise from 174,000 tonnes to 324,000 tonnes once the site is operational.

A split investment, with Semmaris as landlord

Semmaris will fund the real estate through a wholly owned subsidiary, investing €37 million and taking on the property side of the project. Omer-Decugis will lease and operate the platform, financing its technical installations and equipment for €10 million to €12 million, phased over the coming years from group resources and a syndicated loan concluded in July 2026. Combined, the two commitments bring the project to nearly €50 million.

The partnership follows an agreement signed on 8 July 2026 between Semmaris and Dunkerque-Port. Omer-Decugis had won a tender for the project at the port in late 2024, when it set out plans to expand its French capacity. The release describes Dunkirk as France’s leading port for fruit and vegetable imports, with road, rail and inland-waterway connections.

Securing fresh-produce flows for French and European markets

Omer-Decugis, a specialist in exotic and fresh fruit and vegetables, said the platform is intended to secure supply of fresh produce for the French and wider European markets and to support its growth over the next decade. Semmaris, which operates the Rungis wholesale market south of Paris, is extending its reach into northern France through the tie-up.

Sources:
Omer-Decugis & Cie — press release (via Actusnews), 26 October 2026
Dunkerque-Port — “Dunkerque-Port and Rungis International Market Partnership”, 8 July 2026
Supply Chain Magazine (discovery source) — « Omer-Decugis associé à la Semmaris pour son futur hub de Dunkerque », 26 October 2026