We never sent that: Mysterious fake letters related to flower culture worry the people of Pays Bigouden.

In the Pays Bigouden region, residents of Penmarc’h, Plomeur, and Plonéour-Lanvern have made a strange discovery in their mailboxes about ten days ago. In a letter from the company Kaandorp, known for its production of bulbs and cut flowers in the southern Finistère region, it is mentioned that the company recently learned that “a resistance to antifungals is developing alarmingly in the Netherlands.” The rest of the letter takes on a rather alarming tone, stating that the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, which can cause serious, sometimes fatal infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients, has mutated as a result of “necessarily intensive use of antifungals to protect tulip bulbs.”

These concerns have led the Plomeur-based operation, near La Torche, to collaborate with a laboratory for a “major study” and to provide residents with “sensors developed in the Netherlands” to assess the risk of exposure to these resistant strains.

“It’s gone too far”

With a letterhead featuring the logo and contact information of the company, everything suggests a real alert from the bulb growers. However, the company’s manager denies sending the letter, saying, “we have never sent this letter. If we had, I would have signed it myself and it would have come from the health authorities,” says Ard Kaandorp. Although the manager did not initially take legal action, he eventually filed a complaint on May 4, 2026, at the Guilvinec gendarmerie. “This is a step too far. Who knows if one day I won’t find my burnt business,” he worries.

“This is becoming a serious issue. At no time can we validate such a drift. It’s gone too far.”

The mayor of Plomeur, Ronan Crédou, also denounces this apparent identity theft. “This is becoming a serious issue. At no time can we validate such a drift. It’s gone too far,” he reacts. The mayor now hopes that law enforcement will “find the person or group behind these acts.”

“The targeted company”

In the southern Finistère region, the site has been targeted for years. In 2025, a pumping device was dismantled by members of The Earth Uprisings. In March 2024, a violent altercation occurred between the management and protesters during open days. More recently, on April 4, activists sowed amaranth seeds, a plant resistant to herbicides, in the fields. These actions aim to denounce the use of phytosanitary products and the water consumption of the structure, for which the Finistère prefecture is requesting regularization.

“A real study published”

But what about the content of this letter? As reported by Ouest-France, the Besançon University Hospital did launch a study on the subject, published in February 2024 on the Chrono-environment laboratory’s website and The Conversation media. This publication highlights a direct link between the cultivation of treated flowers and the resistance of molds dangerous to human health.