According to the section, temperatures fell below 0°C in the Loire and Rhone valleys and in northern France. 'There were effects on summer fruit and pears,' said Vincent Guérin of the French national apple section. 'But there will be little effect on apples as although some blossom was frozen, there were still enough flowers that escaped unscathed to produce a normal harvest. We must wait for the fruit set.' He stressed that although effects will vary for individual growers, overall the effect on the French national harvest will not be great. 'It is also only a case of the very early apples which blossom earliest being affected,' said Guérin. 'We must look at the situation again in a month or so to get a more accurate picture.' Meanwhile, French apple stocks from the 2002 harvest are clearing the market as planned. Levels are slightly higher than last year, which was low and are still in line with the 10-year average. Pink Lady and Braeburn are the only varieties with discernible rises in stock levels. This is to be expected as Pink Lady is a new apple in development and Braeburn is experiencing keen uptake on French, UK and German markets. Granny Smiths, Golden Delicious and Reds are all slightly below last season and Fuji is also in line with last year.

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