This is a major step forward for the French plum sector. At MedFEL, the Lily Ploom club - which was set up by SA PRSO and brings together the marketers Vergers Cancel, Apifood, and Boyer - formalized a structuring partnership with COT International, a French plant breeding company specialized in apricot, cherry, and plum varieties. This is an unprecedented collaboration, born of a strong ambition: to build a 100% French sector, from genetics to marketing, by aligning varietal innovation, volume control, and market expectations.
© Aurélie Pintat
PRSO and Lily Ploom: developing and structuring plum varieties in the southwest of France
At the initiative of PRSO, the growers' association, and in close collaboration with three major players in the marketing of plums in France, the Lily Ploom club was set up on a collaborative basis, with marketers supporting and aligning the commercial development of varieties. "At the start of the process, growers wanted to pool their skills with the aim of developing genetics and the range of varieties available in the Tarn-et-Garonne region, taking inspiration from what was being done around the world," explains Jérôme Capel.
"The long-term aim was to drive forward the commercial development of these varieties, which have great taste potential and meet a market need, and to generate a common reputation around a shared brand." Each variety is assessed for its agronomic and commercial potential before being developed, guaranteeing consistency, control over volumes, and value creation.
© COT International
A partnership born of the desire to relaunch the development of French plum varieties
To take this approach even further, and convinced that "French plums have a future," the three marketers wanted to include the breeding aspect in order to offer a plum that is 100% French. Discussions began in 2021 with PRSO and have led to an unprecedented partnership with COT International. "We started from a simple observation: plum breeding in France is clearly lacking dynamism, so we went to meet growers to identify their needs and find out what they wanted in terms of plum varieties," explains Pascal Bassols Pot, technical and sales manager at COT International.
This 10-year partnership aims to recreate a complete value chain by establishing an even more direct link between genetics, production, and marketing.
© COT International
A partnership designed to provide a structure for the French sector
If COT International was the natural choice, it was first and foremost because the breeder has amply demonstrated its expertise in creating high-performance varieties that meet market expectations. "The company proved its worth in the sector with the Grenadine variety, which was released a few years ago and has become a real best-seller," explains Jérôme Capel. This variety has established itself thanks to its "proven agronomic robustness and excellent taste," while at the same time catering to a market segment that had been under-exploited until then.
But this success has also revealed its limitations. "The downside of fame is that development can become anarchic." Easy to grow, the variety was planted en masse, without any real coordination. Hence, the current desire to "channel plantings, control development and structure the range under a brand name to respond precisely to market needs."
Diversifying the range to meet new market challenges
As well as structuring, the challenge now is to broaden the range of possibilities. "There are still uncovered segments, niches of maturity to be exploited and a diversity of tastes and colors to be developed," explains Pascal Bassols Pot.
Yellow or red flesh, differentiated skin, varied taste profiles: the strategy aims to enrich the range to appeal to consumers looking for something new. This diversification also involves a rebalancing between varieties. While American-Japanese plums are making headway, "there is no question of abandoning European varieties," emphasizes Jérôme Capel. "There is clearly room on the market for traditional Prunus domestica varieties, but they need to evolve to cope with new climatic constraints. Some of them are showing signs of weakness in the face of climate change. And once again, COT International has been one of the few players, to our knowledge, to have taken the time to work in depth on this issue."
© COT International
A win-win alliance for the entire sector
This partnership marks a key step for the French plum sector. By bringing together geneticists, growers, and marketers, it will enable the sector to be more responsive and relevant. "We are in a win-win situation, as close as possible to the needs of the field and the trade, while at the same time securing research into the development of new varieties of plum in France," explains Pascal Bassols Pot.
"For our part, what we expect from variety development is, of course, to fill in the harvest calendar for growers and the commercial calendar for marketers. And at the same time, to have varieties that are agronomically resilient."
With players representing nearly 80% of French plum volumes, the potential impact is very significant. The ambition is now clear: to structure the sector for the long term, create new varietal successes, and make French plums competitive once again.
