French peach and nectarine forecast slightly higher than in 2016

This year the forecast of the peaches and nectarines was different than in other years. Usually Europech’s harvest forecast was announced at the end of April or in early May. The four main European producer countries, Italy, Spain, Greece and France, centralise the information of their respective territories and make it available for its later distribution and discussion at Europech. These forecasts are often controversial: too optimistic for some, too pessimistic for others.

No European information
Over the past three years, representatives of some of the major European production areas have threatened not to participate in the preparation and dissemination of these forecasts, considering that the date chosen was too early to guarantee the dissemination of reliable data. In 2017 for the first time, some have decided not to provide harvest forecasts for their production areas on the scheduled date and have asked for a postponement. Therefore, on the occasion of Medfel 2017, only the harvest forecasts for French peaches and nectarines were announced.

Unlike some of their European colleagues, the representatives of French producers, the AOP peaches and apricots of France, decided to maintain its commitment and prepare the crop forecasts with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture. The European harvest forecast for peaches and nectarines of the four main countries represented will therefore not be published until 18 May in Montpellier.

Peach and Nectarine forecast
In France, the 2016 season was marked by a relatively mild winter, with no major weather issues, which has resulted in close to average harvest forecasts. However, as of the month of May, several climatic hazards have been recorded which could slightly affect the production potential, mainly in the valley of the Rhone.

The beginning of the campaign was tense, with a strong presence of Spanish peaches and nectarines on the shelves and a climate unfavourable to consumption in June. But thanks to the efforts of the sector, the switchover to French products was massive and made it possible to absorb the first significant harvests. Then, throughout the summer, the temperatures were high, ideal to boost consumption and this led to smooth sales and stable prices.

In the end, the 2016 peach and nectarine campaign was satisfactory for French producers. This year, the winter was marked by cold temperatures, especially in January and February. The flowering took place relatively early, around mid-March. The high density of flowers and the good weather conditions during the flowering led to fears of excessive fruit loads, but eventually, the load has been average, without the need for extensive thinning.

With 209,000 tonnes expected, the production of French peaches and nectarines in 2017 is 4% higher than in 2016, but 15% lower than the average of 2011/2015. For pavia peaches, the production in 2017 is similar to that of 2016, with 5,000 tonnes and 11% lower than the 2011/2015 average.