This week, the Lovita® plum, a new red flesh variety, will enter the French and European markets, a few days earlier than expected, just like the other plum varieties. An trial Lovita® production was marketed last year, but this 2020 season is the first true marketing year for this variety. The French production, or more accurately the regional harvest, since it is exclusively produced in the southwest, is around 50 tons. The marketing campaign should last until the end of October.
This year again, the quality is good. The season has been favorable for the plum, which developed the taste qualities appreciated by consumers: a high sugar level (average 17° Brix), good flavor, a crunchy texture and an atypical appearance: red with green spots and heart-shaped.
The official Lovita® distributors are Boyer SAS, Apifood, Cancel Fruits Distribution and le Vieux Pointet (organic production), which supply supermarkets and wholesale markets.
Positive feedback from the 2019 campaign
The initial feedback from the 2019 marketing campaign shows good interest from consumers for a top quality plum such as the Lovita®, the priority now being on quality products with high satisfaction levels in terms of taste, according to the various Lovita® distributors.
At Apifood for example, Eric Tastayre, sales manager, claims that “the awareness is there! More than ever concerned about their well-being, consumers prioritize the quality of their food and are more and more sensitive to taste, freshness and origin.”
Therefore, choosing the right moment to harvest is a determining factor to enhance the value of the plum and allow consumers to enjoy it until the end of the season. With the help of a technical team in charge of monitoring the maturity of the Lovita®, the producers analyze many criteria of sugar, firmness and acidity to decide on the best moment to harvest.
“Lovita on tour”
In parallel, the “Lovita on tour” campaign has been a great success with the public and many gastronomy professionals. Taking part in numerous events, interviews and culinary experiences, the Lovita® seems to spark a real interest from restaurants and pastry chefs. Events to follow on social networks (Facebook): Gourmandise magazine, Waterugby in Toulouse, Montpellier, celebrate quality.
About the Lovita®
The Lovita® ('prunus salicina' variety) is a heart-shaped plum with red flesh. Juicy and very sweet - between 17 and 22° Brix, its taste and aesthetic qualities are maintained throughout the entire storage period from September until December. It is the first variety selected by French Fruit Lovers, French fruit variety license manager (based in Moissac France) and founded by producers-nurserymen, Sébastien Rispe and Benoît Escande (both heirs to generations of producers), and Sébastien Guy, a fruit marketing specialist.
For more information:
Monika Kujundzic
Head of Marketing & Communication
French Fruit Lovers
2788 route de la Mégère
82200 Moissac - France
Phone: +33 (0)5 63 04 01 06
Mobile: +33 (0) 6 62 02 77 15
monika@agence-kujundzic.com
www.lovita-plum.com