According to the latest estimates, on September 1st, 2025, French peach production stood at 217,000 tons, which is 8% less than in 2024. Despite this drop (which affects all production basins), the volumes remain close to the 2020-2024 average. "At the end of the season, the market becomes tighter, volumes accumulate, and prices return to the five-year average," according to the Agreste economic outlook.
Steeper decline in the Rhône Valley
In Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, production has suffered from the vagaries of the weather (hail, heatwave, frost, spring rains) and peach leaf curl disease. The volumes still remain 8% above the five-year average. In the Occitanie region, the situation is mixed. The Languedoc region suffered from hail and summer rain, while the Garonne Valley had stable volumes. The reduction in surface area, particularly in Roussillon, nevertheless led to an 11% decline over the year. In the Rhône Valley, despite higher-than-expected volumes of nectarines, production has been affected by a succession of hazards (heatwave, storms, frost, falling fruit, and reduced acreage). The decline in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is estimated at -14% compared with 2024.
A tougher market in August
"The drop in temperatures at the end of July, combined with high supplies in August, helped to weigh down the market, leading to a build-up of stocks. Although the hot weather that followed temporarily boosted consumption, the imbalance between supply and demand continued. After rising sharply at the start of the summer, producer prices then dropped in August, returning to a level equivalent to the average seen over the 2020-2024 period."