Apifood, company located in Tarn-et-Garonne and specialized in the marketing of plums, has just started the French plum season. “On Friday last week, we sold the first volumes of African Rose and the early volumes of Lily Ploom. Up until now, we were selling the Spanish origin. For the moment, everything is slowly falling into place. The demand is moderate due to the bad weather, but thanks to the reasonable volumes at the beginning of the season, the market is quite balanced with decent prices,” explains Eric Tastayre, manager of Apifood.
About 40% of the plum trees affected by the frost
Just like with other stone fruit, the plum was not spared by the frost episodes in the spring. “About 80% of the French plums are produced in the department of Tarn-et-Garonne. This year, the frost lasted for a very long time in the southwest. The producers lacked the means, especially candles, to protect their orchards. 50% of the European varieties, traditional and ancient plums like the Reine-Claude or Mirabelle, were affected. As for the American-Japanese varieties, we are expecting 40% of losses. Apifood will lose approximately 30% of its harvest this year. Fortunately, this loss is limited thanks to the entry into production of the young American-Japanese orchards which would have given 20% more volume without the frost.”
A peculiar season that will be determined by the weather
We already know that the volumes of French plums will be limited this year, but there is still a lot of uncertainty regarding the upcoming campaign. “It is very difficult to know how the season will go. We know that the prices might be higher than usual, but not too much higher either because the fruit still needs to remain affordable for the consumer. What is certain is that the weather will condition the demand. If we have a nice summer, the consumption will follow and with an increase in revenue, some producers will be able to compensate for part of their loss. But if we have changeable weather as it is the case right now, the season will be more complicated.”
Years of commitment for quality
If the plum is gaining market shares in France, it is undoubtedly thanks to the years of effort to find varieties of great taste quality. “We currently propose to our distributors a range of tasty plums throughout the season. For 15 years, we have been slowly replacing the less tasty varieties with new varieties. It is a long and demanding search process, because in addition to being tasty, these new varieties must be productive, solid and present a good profitability for the producer. We currently offer tasty red plums throughout the season and we are working on yellow varieties to eventually replace the Golden Japan with a new variety.”
The French plum has its place on the export market
Thanks to these years of committed quality work, the French plum has not only gained market shares in France but also on the export market. “Spanish plums are more intended for the maritime market. French plums however sell very well in other European countries which appreciate their quality. Besides, the French production is very rigorous and is subject to regular and demanding sanitary controls. This seriousness in production helps the French plum maintain its position on the export market, despite the competition.”
For more information:
Eric Tastayre
Apifood
Bâtiment administratif
Marché Gare
82030 Montauban
Phone: +33 5 63 20 22 50
Mobile: +33 6 07 59 03 75
[email protected]
apifood.com