With harvest and imports currently decreasing, the offer is modest. Prices in May have slightly increased compared to 2014, but they are lower than the 2010-2014 average. Acreage is lower than the previous season, continuing a trend recorded since 2010, but an increase in yield should make up for the shortage.
Greenhouse crops were planted in March, followed by tunnel and open air crops in April and May. Open air crops should continue through June. Particularly cold weather at dawn in all production regions has led to a delay in development for all early varieties. Moderate rainfall and wind in May caused a loss of fruit on some farms and some plants needed to be replaced. Fruit setting was successful and the crops are healthy having suffered from little or no attacks. The first crops in the West are slightly later than in 2014 (10 or so days later in Aquitaine and a week later in the Languedoc-Roussillon). Harvest has begun for greenhouse crops, and tunnel crop harvest will begin mid-June. Imports at the start of the season have decreased, mainly from Morocco where a 20% decrease was recorded in April compared to 2014. Spanish production should take over with quantities increasing rapidly. Available volume was particularly low in May and prices were slightly higher than in 2014 but below the 2010-2014 average.
Acreage has decreased compared to 2014. Greenhouse production represents just 5% of acreage with 700 hectares (a 1% increase in a year), but low sheltered crops (46% of acreage with 6,000 hectares) has seen a 4% decrease. Open air crops represent 48% of production with 6,300 hectares (a 3% decrease compared to 2014). Production acreage has decreased by 450 hectares in a year and over 1,300 hectares compared to the 2010-2014 average. All regions have seen a decrease in acreage (except Aquitaine). However, harvest has only decreased by 1% in a year (reaching 242,600 tons) and could make up for the decrease in acreage. Harvest began early May with some earlier varieties being introduced and volume was slightly higher than in 2014. This increase will continue through June and early July with production peaking around the 14th July before the seasonal decrease in volumes.