Summer fruits: warm weather boosts apricot and blackcurrant production in France

The summer fruit harvest is underway in France after warm weather encourages early ripening and production.

Roughly 109,000 tonnes of apricots are expected to be picked in French orchards this year, according to the latest estimates from the French Ministry of Agriculture.

This represents a 32% increase on production in 2024 - a particularly poor year for apricots.

The 2025 harvest is however unlikely to match the levels achieved in 2022 or 2023.

Fruit farmers are not concerned by fluctuating production due to the knowledge that bountiful seasons are often punctuated by a year of ‘rest’ when trees produce less fruit.

Weather conditions over the coming weeks will be decisive in confirming the promising apricot season. 

Read also: Head to Provence for the finest melon: the Cavaillon

Blackcurrant boom 

Blackcurrants were introduced to Bourgogne in the 16th Century, with production today covering 500 hectares in the region. 

Much like apricots, the blackcurrant harvest was low in 2024 (and has been on a downward trend for roughly ten years, according to a FranceAgriMer study), however 2025 promises to deliver a bumper crop. 

This year’s warm weather has allowed the fruits to ripen more quickly, creating a more flavourful product, with farmers having started picking the blackcurrants up to three weeks earlier than usual.

"We are having a very good year. There was no frost and we had a lot of insects which pollinate,” fruit farmer and wine producer Manuel Olivier told France3. 

Mr Olivier’s workers are however racing against the sun as France’s current heatwave threatens to scorch the blackcurrants and spoil the harvest.

Read also: French strawberries: the best varieties and when to eat them

Slight drop in peach production

Larger stoned fruits such as peaches and nectarines are not experiencing the same boom. 

An estimated 209,600 tonnes of peaches and nectarines are expected to be harvested in France in 2025, an 11% drop compared to last year and 5% on the five-year average, according to the French Ministry of Agriculture.

The growth of these fruits was impacted by heavy rain during the blossoming period, but June’s sunny weather has encouraged them to ripen. 

This means production levels remain satisfactory in comparison to the spring frosts in 2021 which caused French peach and nectarine production to fall below 150,000 tonnes.

Prices in French shops

Prices remain relatively stable in supermarkets despite the variations in production levels. 

The French summer fruit season is traditionally launched with discount deals, with FranceAgriMer data currently indicating a slight increase in prices from last year. 

Read also: Reader tips on how to save money buying food in France

A kilogram punnet of French apricots sold for an average of €4.01 in supermarkets last week (June 16 - 22, 2025), compared with €3.81 on the same week in 2024. 

A kilogram punnet of French nectarines sold for €3.84, compared with €3.39 in 2024. 

A kilogram punnet of French peaches cost €3.64, compared with €3.43 last year.