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After this summer’s exceptional drought, the repercussions are very concrete for apple producers. The harvest is in full swing on Wednesday November 2, but the professionals are worried about their future.
It has just the right amount of acidity and sugar. Queen of the kitchen, is the apple of the Alpes de Haute-Durance threatened? Cold, heat wave, drought… In a restaurant labeled local products, in Gap (Hautes-Alpes), climate change is worrying. “We ended up with our sources starting to dry up. With us, this has never happened”entrusts Eric Rolland, chef.
These difficulties can already be seen on certain stalls at the farmers’ market in Gap. With only 200 trees, arborist Thierry Bumat sells his entire apple harvest here. “This year, I only have two varieties, Topaz and Ariane. As they ran out of water, they are much open and they are smaller sizes”, he explains to his clients. These second choice apples must therefore be sold at a lower price. In addition to the vagaries of the weather, the sector must also manage the explosion in energy costs. Without help, some fear that they will simply have to stop producing apples from the Alps.