Stone-fruit survival

French stone-fruit producers have experienced challenging times of late. Frost in spring last year, followed by a heatwave in summer led to small tonnage and non-typical fruit evolution through the season ñ not the ideal conditions to boost the export side of the business. Nevertheless, the figures are not as catastrophic as some feared and France's production potential remains intact. Figures show clearly that French exports were back to normal after the 2002 season when fruit was oversupplied. Philippe Gautier reports.