At the height of the summer season, French raspberry production is at its peak. "The season started at the beginning of May. Production peaks in the summer and continues until the end of August. Volumes should then decrease until week 48 for the latest producing regions, which will mark the end of the French raspberry season," explains Hugo Chevalon, technical manager of Strawberries and Raspberries of France. This association accounts for 35 to 40% of French raspberry production, with growers spread across most production areas.
Quality put to the test in some regions this week
In terms of quality, as with a number of other summer fruits, the heatwave has affected raspberry production. "We had a few complications during the hot spells at the beginning of July, and some crops are currently suffering again from the high temperatures. Growers have learned to adapt in order to guarantee the quality of their raspberries. With the exception of a few days when quality dropped in certain areas, the quality is quite satisfactory overall. The concerns that have been raised relate more to the lack of solutions regarding certain pests such as eriophyes, drosophilia suzukii, and aphids."
Volumes are slightly up, but far from what was once produced
In terms of volumes, they are equivalent to or even slightly higher than last year. Generally speaking, production has risen slightly in recent years. "Twenty years ago, France produced far more raspberries than it does today. Gradually, however, growers abandoned raspberries in favor of other, more profitable crops. Today, within the association, acreage is gradually increasing, in a market where French production meets only 15% of the domestic demand."
Focusing on taste
The challenge remains huge for the French raspberry sector, given the competition from Portugal, Spain, and Morocco, which is very present all year round. "Knowing that labor represents 55% of the total production cost of raspberries, France is struggling to compete with other origins where labor is much cheaper. We know that we cannot compete on the same varieties. Our aim within the association is to identify and develop raspberry varieties that are highly tasty, just as we have done for strawberries with varieties such as the Gariguette, Mara des Bois, and Charlotte, to name a few. But it is a long-term project that we embarked on some fifteen years ago with strawberries. Given that it takes around ten years to create a raspberry variety, we still have a long way to go to make the French raspberry a fruit that clearly stands out from the competition in terms of quality."
For more information:
Hugo Chevalon
AOPn Fraises et Framboises de France
[email protected]
