At last week's Fruit Logistica in Berlin, Sabine Alary andVincent Faugier, co-presidents of French interprofessional marketing section SIPMM Abricot, made an unexpected prediction: that apricots in France would become redder in the future.
'Even though most people think of apricots as yellow or orange, studies show that the redder the apricot the more consumers buy,' revealed Alary.
Research and development in France is therefore shifting production towards such varieties, she said, as well as towards those that prolong the season and offer the best taste.
'Each market has its own specifications,' said Alary, 'so it’s important to have a wide range of varieties.'
Varietal research, such as that conducted at the Centre Technique Interprofessionel des Fruits et Légumes in the Gard region, is therefore crucial.
'We have invested a lot in the research and development of new apricot varieties,' said Faugier. 'In France, peaches are better known, as are the different varieties available. This is the route that French apricots need to take. We need to continue to innovate in terms of availability, colour, taste and resistance to pests and diseases.'
According to Faugier, one future step could be to grow French apricots in the Southern Hemisphere, such as in Chile, in order to move closer to year-round availability.
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