Ten days late, on July 26, the Reine-Claude plum harvest began. Some 1,000 tons of label-grade plums are expected to be harvested this year, thanks to the hard work of 53 growers covering 77 ha. A campaign going quite well after two consecutive years of frost: "This year is a good one, despite a few hailstorms which damaged some orchards and scarred the fruit. With the cool nights of July, the Reine-Claude fruit came in a little late, but it was worth the wait, as the taste is up to standard, with good sugar levels and low acidity", reports Camille Delaporte, quality co-ordinator for PDO Label Rouge Reine-Claude.
Reine-Claude was granted the Label Rouge in 1998. "This label guarantees consumers an exceptional product of outstanding taste quality. It also means that producers get a better income. By buying Label Rouge, consumers can be assured of consistent size (35mm), color, and sugar content (>17° Brix), as well as the sweet honey fragrance so characteristic of this variety. These certified plums also benefit from special care. They are picked at optimum ripeness and harvested by hand. Reine-Claudeis a fruit of pleasure that Label Rouge guarantees! So don't hesitate to enjoy them until mid-September.
As for consumption, although it didn't live up to expectations at the start of the campaign, it has improved as the hot weather returned: "Like all summer fruits, we are experiencing a drop in consumption despite the quality of the harvest. Unfortunately, prices have also fallen compared with last year, as they have for the plum sector as a whole. Although volumes are up on the two previous years, consumers seem to have reduced their fruit purchases... however, we are still seeing an increase in consumption and a recovery in the market with the return of the hot weather, the vacations, and August 15th."
For further information:
Camille Delaporte
ODG Label Rouge Reine Claude
Camille.delaporte@hexavalor.fr