Forecast broadly similar to last year’s with production in France’s main growing region set to be 10 per cent below average
Fresh plum production in France is expected to weigh in at 56,000-58,000 tonnes, broadly similar to last year’s estimate of 54,000-58,000 tonnes.
The forecast was announced by AOPN Prune, the trade body for French plum growers, at Medfel in Perpignan.
The south-west of France, which produces 61 per cent of the national volume, is expected to deliver 90 per cent of a ‘normal harvest’. July varieties are set to yield slightly less than last year, while August varieties may need thinning to achieve good fruit size.
Low temperatures in January followed by some warmer weather meant break bud and flowering happened earlier than normal, about a week ahead of schedule in the south-west of France. This headstart has been partly retained.
After a normal production year for July varieties in 2025, and some overproduction of August plums, such as TC Sun and Grenadine, flowering was good this year, according to AOPN Prune.
No significant frosts required protection during flowering, however one or two cold nights at the end of March and the very beginning of April may have triggered fruit set protection in certain areas, without any significant damage to the fruit.
Fruit set among the Japanese July-bearing varieties was mostly disappointing. African Rose was generally very sparse, PrimeTime was moderate, and Ruby Sun was sometimes good, sometimes lacking. However, these early varieties represent a smaller part of the overall portfolio than the late varieties.
Other July varieties look quite balanced, such as Obilnaja, Fortune, Tasty Sweet, and Soryana (with some exceptions). Sunkiss also generally looks good, with a few exceptions.
Among the August varieties, Rubinel seems to be under-producing but TC Sun and Grenadine, which are planted across significant areas, are generally well-stocked and may need thinning in some cases.
September Yummy also seems well-stocked, as does Lovita. Ruby Star, however, is more varied depending on the plot.
When it comes to domestic varieties, AOPN described fruit set as very good. Golden Reine-Claude plums look good and will even need thinning in some cases. Bavay plums and blue plums are also well-stocked, with thinning necessary in some cases.
There are no major incidents to report that would have affected the quality of the fruit. To date, there have been no hailstorms, and nets are currently deployed everywhere in commercial production.
Fruit sizes should be good in July given the slightly low crop loads, while fruit size in August will depend on the intensity of thinning.
The production forecasts in France’s other two production regions are as follows:
- Grand-Est region (22 per cent of national volume): 70-80 per cent of a normal harvest.
- Southeast region (14 per cent of national volume): 100 per cent.
Partnership with Coopérative U
At Medfel 2026, AOPN Prune also announced the signing of a partnership agreement with Coopérative U. It stipulates that 95 per cent of plums should be sourced from France, with 80 per cent coming from eco-friendly orchards. The commitment also covers promotions, by both the crop association and the retailer.
