On March 2, a day took place organized by the AOP Cerises de France in Bessenay, in the Rhône. It brought together nearly 80 participants and, for the first time, was open to non-members, thus bringing together the entire sector, from upstream to downstream: producers, technicians, researchers, marketers and brands. A meeting intended to discuss the challenges of French production and in particular technical solutions in orchards. An update with Alexandra Lacoste, director of the AOP Cerises de France, which brings together 15 members spread across four production areas: PACA, Occitanie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Centre-Val de Loire.
© AOP Cerises de France
Towards combinatorial solutions against the Asian midge 
© AOP Cerises de France Drosophila suzukii, the number one scourge of cherries, particularly since the discontinuation of Dimethoate in 2016, has had a profound impact on many orchards. The AOP Cerises de France therefore took stock of the research work undertaken over several years and, above all, of the prospects to come. Because today, the strategy is clearly evolving towards “combinatorial solutions”, combining classic active substances and advanced ones led by INRAE and CTIFL within the framework of the PARSADA Plan (Strategic Action Plan for the anticipation of the potential European withdrawal of active substances and the development of alternative techniques), launched in 2024 by the Ministry of Agriculture, and intended to avoid technical impasses linked to the gradual disappearance of phytosanitary products.
“We are moving forward with new protocols, which nevertheless remain experimental, such as the release of sterile insects or parasitoids,” explains Alexandra Lacoste. The central question now remains that of the articulation between existing solutions in order to effectively combine approaches, “biocontrol being still insufficient on its own”, underlines the director. And if the strategies are today considered on a plot scale, the AOP Cerises de France now wishes to set up pilot territories, starting next year. Objective: “know when and how to intervene but also better anticipate the flight peaks of Drosophila suzukii”.
Producers who specialize
The impact of Drosophila suzukii will have profoundly changed the French cherry orchard. “After the sharp drop in volumes between 2010 and 2020, we have observed a stabilization for several years, or even in certain regions an increase in surface areas,” indicates Alexandra Lacoste.
French production of table cherries today reaches an average of 24,000 tonnes per year, for approximately 7,400 hectares (surface areas including industrial cherries). But beyond the surface areas, we are mainly witnessing an evolution in the profile of producers. “Many produced cherries to complement other crops. But, faced with the technicality required by production, many have specialized.” Because where orchard management once relied on one or two solutions, it now requires a much more technical and rigorous approach.
French production spared from frost this year
If it is still difficult to establish forecasts for the next campaign (the start of the harvest is expected between May 10 and 15), as the weather influences volumes, one point can already be underlined: the cherry sector will not have this year suffered from frost. “We had a few scares because of the low temperatures but ultimately we were not impacted.”
On a commercial level, cherry also benefits from a rather favorable positioning. Unlike certain fruits which face strong competition from foreign production, it retains a dominant place on the French market, particularly in supermarkets. “The cherry is a fragile fruit and the French origin, very qualitative, works greatly in our favor.” If the Spanish cherry is present at the start of the campaign, just like certain Belgian productions at the end of the season, with also some marginal volumes of Moldovan cherries, “in terms of food sovereignty, we are well above 50%”.
The main challenge of the campaign, however, lies in the organization of the offer and the management of caliber. “Depending on the available offer, we can, in the middle of the season, have slightly lower calibers. We must therefore be very attentive with the brands to support and develop promotions, so that availability coincides with the catalogs planned in advance.”
© AOP Cerises de France
“Cherry is an impulse buy”
In terms of consumption, the cherry remains a popular fruit and awaited every year. “But it remains an impulse purchase and not planned,” warns Alexandra Lacoste. Conditioning therefore constitutes a determining element. “The progression of packaging each year requires us to closely follow the evolution of European regulations. Because the fruit must be visible to consumers on the shelves to trigger the act of purchasing”, at the risk of seeing a situation similar to that of grapes in the summer of 2024, sales of which had been penalized by certain formats of cardboard trays.
Especially since packaging also allows the offer to be segmented. “With the exception of a few two-tone varieties, most of the segmentation is done by size and unit packaging.” And as the director points out, the cherry is not a peelable fruit, so the hygiene aspect is particularly important. “Unit packaging is one that we can play with so that the consumer can enjoy themselves without necessarily buying a kilo of cherries.”
This article was written for the special Primeur edition for the month of April
For more information:
AOP Cherries from France
House of Agriculture
Agroparc site 84912 Avignon
Tél. : 04 90 27 12 64
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