On the 1st of July, the cherry production had decreased 29% compared to last year and to 26% in comparison with the average of the past five years. Bad weather conditions in the harvest months of May and June have damaged both the early and the late varieties.
In Rhône-Alpes the harvest is expected to be 40% lower than in 2011. During the blooming period of the cherry trees the weather was cold and damp. In every region the fruit setting differed. Rainfall in May diminished the harvest of the variety Burlat. In addition, later varieties were affected by rainfall in June, causing some decay. Furthermore, many fruits from Languedoc-Roussillion are not marketable for this very reason. Here, the production capacity saw a decline of 27% in one year’s time. The region Midi-Pyrénées marks the highest production cut with a 60% decline compared to the five-yearly average. After a proper blooming period, the yield of the early varieties (Burlats) is affected by the bad weather at the beginning of May and the late varieties by rainfall in June. The production area in the Provence Alpes Côte-d’Azur region sees a slight growth. Nonetheless, a lot of fruit was lost as a result of the rain, interfering with the fertilization, and the early varieties were greatly hit by the bad weather in May.
Supply at the beginning of the season was limited due to copious rainfall and below demand. However, the prices were stable (+15% compared to the five-yearly average). At the start of June, demand was more selective and focussed on the most qualitative products. Halfway through June the late varieties grew in importance, but supply remained limited, resulting in a steady price. Again, this was higher than the average compared to the past five years (+ 26%). At the end of June production was confined to Val de Loire and the Lyon area.
At the beginning of the 2011 season (May) prices were 31% lower in comparison to the season of 2010 and 18% compared to the five-yearly average. The supply of Burlat increased in May, which was earlier than in 2010. The fruit was of a fine quality, but mostly undersized, which resulted in a negative price. Moreover, the supply was of a large volume because of extremely high temperatures in May. However, demand was steady, especially export’s demand. Supply declined because of heavy rainfall in June, particularly in the Provence. Prices were 6% below the five-yearly average. It was not until the end of the season that the market steadied.