Severe rain earlier this week has caused major losses for French cherry producers in the south of France.
According to Olivier Salignon, director of Val de Mesque, located in the heart of Provence, it is the Burlat variety that has been hit by the adverse weather.
'The rain has affected those cherries that were already ripening, and the Burlat is a very early variety,' he told Fruitnet.com. 'It accounts for around 30 per cent of our cherreis, but the rain has caused the fruit to split.'
Thankfully, other varieties that are not yet reaching maturity, such as Folfer, Van and Summit, have not been damaged, Salignon said.
Nearby, producers in the Monts de Venasque have suffered the same fate. Christian Dall'omo, of Terroir de la Cerise, estimated that its 100 or so producers had lost around ten tonnes of Burlat cherries each.
'It really rained a lot on Tuesday,' he said. 'It rained too much.'
