This year's 'Sunshine Fruits from France' campaign is now underway. Now in its fifth year, it will focus on the health aspects of summer and the goodness of the French fruits will be highlighted with the 5-a-day message communicated to consumers.
Although growing conditions have proved difficult in France this season and frost has been a major problem ravaging large sections of the crop, those within the industry remain positive.
The predicted production of cherries this year is 52,500 tonnes with approximately 15 per cent being exported to the UK.
The crop has suffered from the spring frost so production is down around 25 per cent. It is thought the cherries season will be a short one – which will probably not last much longer past early to mid-July.
Meanwhile, summer pear exports to the UK are on average around 3,500t. Pear growers (both summer and winter) are being encouraged to adopt integrated crop management techniques according to Michel Fabre, president of the pear committee. He said: 'It is important that growers become involved, and this ties in with Eurep Gap requirements. It is important in terms of both food safety and looking after the environment.
Currently 40 per cent of land is under integrated crop management (around 1,200 hectares) and we want this figure to reach 100 per cent in the next two to three years.' The predicted crop of French peaches and nectarines being exported to the UK is 16,637t.
Daniel Obadia president of the Apricot committee said: 'This season more nectarines are being planted than peaches, and some peach orchards will be replaced by apricots. Recently apricot production had stagnated but it's making a comeback. And for this year we have some in-store tasting lined up with Asda and Tesco.' Alhough the weather has caused concern this season Obadia maintains that this will not effect exports to the UK. He said: 'The UK is one of our most important markets so it is one of our priorities that we deliver fruit of a high quality.