"What is certain is that the high harvest potential for apricots is evolving towards a normal potential, due to difficult climatic conditions during fruit set. Therefore, there is a risk of early varieties shortages", says Raphaël Martinez, Director of the PDO Pêches et Abricots de France, about the challenges of the season.
© Pêches et Abricots de France
What is at stake for the 2025 campaign?
The concerns for the coming campaign are more or less the same as last year's, with price being an absolute priority. "It is first in mind", confirms Raphaël Martinez. "We have to add value to our production, and this inevitably reflects on price. In recent years, prices were generally too close to the cost price. Apart from periods of crisis, like for apricots in 2023 and peaches at the start of the 2024 season. Today, French production is perfectly in line with the needs of the French market, provided that weather conditions are favorable and that Spanish, Italian, Greek, and Moldavian production do not intrude, with the risk of causing more pressure", according to Raphaël. "The gradual loss of export markets due to prices that are incompatible with production costs has led to the disappearance of farms and the reduction of domestic production areas. Today, 80 to 90% of the French production is focusing on the French market itself". Despite this tight competition, consumers and distributors have for some years been "recognizing French origin, thus helping to protect the French industry to a certain extent".
© Pêches et Abricots de France
This promotion of 'Made in France' requires a commitment from distributors, now signing "partnership agreements". This new formula, initiated by the PDO at the end of 2024, is no longer based on demands, but rather on listening to each other's expectations. The first agreement was officially signed last February during the Salon de l'Agriculture between producers and the Carrefour group. Other retailers are expected to follow in the coming weeks. The core of this supermarket/producer partnership includes switching to French production as soon as it becomes available, promotions and events, supporting a sustainable agricultural approach (Vergers écoresponsables), as well as training and educational tools for retail staff, including sales assistants and department managers. The agreements also include specific features depending on the supermarket: adapting the range, origin transitions, communication, logistics, etc.
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Another central concern is crop protection. "We are running out of solutions," warns Raphaël Martinez. The stone fruit sector, like other fruit and vegetables, has to cope with the gradual disappearance of active ingredients. "For some pests, there is only one authorized product left, and with a narrow spectrum". The stone fruit industry, together with several other professional agricultural organizations, is therefore addressing regulations, institutions, and implementing strong lobbying and legal actions. R&D investments also play an important role: "trials are currently being carried out in agroecological systems, with combined biocontrol and auxiliary work, besides the selection of resistant varieties. And actions are undertaken to speed up the approval process for new molecules".
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Could French flat nectarines win back market share from Spanish flat peaches?
The flat peach segment, currently representing nearly a quarter of the French market, is 80% dominated by Spain. But the situation could change in the midterm, thanks to a reflection on the development of this segment that started last year. The French sector faces Spanish flat peaches, which are generally of high quality (due to the amount of sunshine they receive) but also less expensive. "The challenge is to achieve producing a French product that is economically viable. We need to develop an offer able to capture a share of this market". Despite a more extensive range of flat peach varieties, the organization is focusing on flat nectarines. "For the moment, flat nectarines offer more advantages from an economic point of view, as the Spanish offer is underdeveloped (80% of flat nectarines on the French market are French).
To assess the interest of a French offer in this segment, the PDO Pêches et Abricots de France went to Marc Henri Blarel for advice. He is a consultant specializing in F&V distribution and consumption, and to the question: is there a place for the French product? His answer was: "Yes... provided we do things in a structured way; choose good varieties and communicate on the French origin as well as on taste". Meetings with 6 breeders and variety editors were organized to review the varietal landscape and perspectives. With the exception of the club variety Ondine developed by ASF, which is already well established, flat nectarines are still underdeveloped. There are currently 6 producers of flat peaches in France, and 4 to 6 more are expected to add flat nectarines within the next 3 years. "10 ha of flat peaches and nectarines were planted this winter by members of the PDO. Some believe in it, others don't really, but we encourage as many plantings as possible, in order to catch the interest of some retailers in French produce. This would greatly facilitate the development of this segment", concludes Raphaël Martinez.
This article was previously published in Primeur May 2025. Click here for the link to the entire edition
For more information:
Pêches et Abricots de France
1120, route de Saint-Gilles
Mas de l'Agriculture
30000 Nîmes
Phone: +33(0)6 09 98 38 09
