Following a difficult year in 2009, French apple producers are more optimistic for 2010, with expectations of higher prices, according to Agence France-Presse.
However, with French production volumes expected to fall by 5 per cent since last year, as announced on Tuesday by Daniel Sauvaître, president of the national association of apples and pears (ANPP), France is in danger of losing ground to its rivals.
Production is forecast at only 1.6m tonnes in France, and is down throughout Europe, particularly in Poland, giving French producers hope of achieving a price that meets their costs.
For consumers, Mr Sauvaître said, prices should increase by around €0.30 per kilo in 2010 to €1.80-€1.90 a kilo.
The aim this year, according to Jacques Remiller of the UMP party, is to maintain our orchards and the jobs that go with it, 40,000 of which are full time.
'Last winter we lost 1,500ha of orchards, 4 per cent of our total production area, due to difficulties experienced by our farmers,' said Mr Sauvaître.
Having lost 25 per cent of its orchards since 2000, France is now only the third biggest producer in Europe, falling behind Poland and Italy, while China has eclipsed the country on the world stage.
