In several regions, fruit trees have suffered from the cold, despite the efforts of farmers.
After another night of frost, farmers were trying to take stock on Monday. “It’s very serious, it hit hard last night, the night was faithful to what Météo France had announced, the temperature dropped to -5, many arborists are affected“, related the president of the FNSEA Christiane Lambert to AFP. According to Météo France, the country experienced its coldest night since 1947 for the month of April.
Read alsoFrost: Météo France records its coldest night since 1947 for the month of April
“It is really the arborists, given the state of progress of the orchards, who will be very strongly impacted. I’m thinking of the plum, I’m thinking of the mirabelle plum, I’m thinking of all the stone fruits and the apple in these sectors.“, added Jérôme Despey, general secretary of the first French agricultural union.
On Monday morning, farmers were still assessing the consequences of the frost on their crops. “We can’t make an assessment yet because the damage we see when it thaws“, underlined Christiane Lambert. Clément Tardy, animator at the Movement for the Defense of Family Farmers (MODEF), confirms: “You have to wait a good week for most productions.»
It would already seem that the frost episode of April 2022 is of a lesser magnitude than that of April 2021, which at the time had cost French farmers major losses. “It’s very different from last year because not all regions were affected. But when it hit, it hit real hard“, said Christiane Lambert at midday on Franceinfo, citing Lot-et-Garonne, Dordogne, Aisne and Indre-et-Loire. “Overall, the frost has less impact than last year, due to less cold on average and later flowering in some places“, analyzes Clément Tardy, from MODEF.
Candles and sprinkling
Farmers had again taken their precautions last night. Many of them spent the night trying to protect their farms with antifreeze candles, braziers or by using the sprinkler technique. It consists in watering the orchards and the vines in such a way as to form a bubble of ice around the buds. “It acts as a coating that protects against negative temperatures, because the buds and flowers are in zero degree ice.“, explains Joris Miachon, arborist in the Drôme and head of the youth section of the Rural Coordination.
On the plots he was able to protect, the farmer “don’t think there was any damage“. “The advantage this year is that the cold arrived later in the night than last year, and that it was less violent“. On the other hand, on his hectares that he was unable to protect, i.e. the majority, “damage is possible on pear trees“, he laments. “But it is too early to tell.Arborist in the Rhône, Vincent Janod had installed makeshift braziers, with metal barrels and wooden logs, on a small plot of apricot trees, which he fed throughout the night. “It was effective at first“, he congratulates himself. “But on the other unprotected plots, no apricot seems to have resisted“, he despairs.
Read alsoApril 2021 freeze: the bill swells to more than 200 million euros for Groupama
In the Tarn-et-Garonne, the arborists were surprised at the strength of the cold. “For the first time, the frost is mounted on the hillsides, where we are not used to making an antifreeze system“says Françoise Roch, arborist in Moissac and president of the National Federation of Fruit Producers (FNPF). On plums, she thus estimates the losses “at 80%“. Significant damage is also to be expected on apricots, peaches or cherries. “A priori, we are one of the most affected departments“says Françoise Roch.
In the Cévennes, the arborists were lucky that this episode of frost intervened when the crops were notnot yet at the sensitive stage», reports Alexis Durand, technical adviser to the farms of the Origine Cévennes cooperative. “The apple trees are about ten days late compared to last year“, he notes indeed. Thereby, “frost impact is low, and harvest potential is maintained“says the engineer, relieved.
At least one more rough night
Winegrowers were also affected by the frost, as several of them shared on social networks. “After a tour of the vineyards, the announced frosts have been confirmed! But at this stage difficult to decide as the physiological stages are heterogeneous and the precocity less than in 2021. There will certainly be marked damage in places and the blow is very hard“, for example, wrote on Twitter Jean-Marie Fabre, winemaker in Aude.
Read alsoApril frost: Jean Castex promises to be “alongside the farmers affected”
On the other hand, the damage in the vineyards of Burgundy seemed “limits“, assured several winegrowers Monday morning to AFP, thanks to temperatures lower than expected. “This made it possible to limit the effects of frost. Winegrowers are relieved after a lot of anguish», rejoiced Jérôme Chevalier, president of the Union of Mâcon wine producers. Overall, in France, viticulture experienced “few losses“, according to Clément Tardy, of MODEF, these focusing “on the South West“.
The difficulties are not over for operators. “There are two problem nights left“said Christiane Lambert on Franceinfo. It is especially the coming night that is feared. “There is still a complicated night to pass, the one that is coming. She scares us a little“says Joris Miachon, in the Drôme. Alexis Durand, in the Cévennes, wants to be more optimistic. “The bulk of the frost episode has passed“, according to him. Then it will be time to take stock. Jean Castex has already announced that the affected farmers would be helped, via the triggering of the “agricultural calamitiesat the beginning of the week. The Prime Minister also mentioned the opening, if necessary, of a “emergency fund» for the departments most concerned.
SEE ALSO – Cold wave: snow falls in large flakes on several French regions