This is the first year in his 50 year career that producer, Benoit Lefèvre, has harvested so few plums. He would normally harvest 180 tons, but figures suggest that the volume will be half of that harvested last year.
This is due to a very hot and dry summer, and he explains that “in March we already had a lack of water because there wasn’t much rain over the winter."
The International Plum Bureau (BIP) expects to see a 5 to 20% loss in the region. President of the BIP, Jacquie Pomiès, explains that “the plums had a sort of sun stroke, some of them burnt.” Forecasts suggest that 30,000 to 32,000 tons of prunes will be harvested this year, compared to 37,000 last year. President of France Prune, Jean-Luc Jagueneau, says that “There is no more prune stock from last year. That and a weak harvest this year means it will be complicated.” However the fact that the plums are not as full of water this year means that they could go further (last year 3.4kg of plums were needed for 1kg of prunes, this year the BIP hopes that only 3 kg of plums will be needed).
Whilst quantity is disappointing, margins are up this year, the price of Agen prunes is over 15% higher than last year (having already increased by 20% in 2013).
Mr Jagueneau says that this year “The quality in flavour of the plums is exceptional. They are very sweet thanks to their long sun exposure”. Rain over the first week of harvest made it difficult as it was “slippery like soap” on the machines, however the second week was good and they hope that the weather will continue.