“The two coldest nights” are expected “Monday and Tuesday”, warns the vice-president of the FNSEA

“Obviously, when there is an impact of frost as there may have been in the Var, in Vaucluse or other regions of France, it causes the entire harvest to be lost”explains Saturday April 20 on franceinfo Jérôme Volle, vice-president of the FNSEA and winegrower in Ardèche, while a severe cold spell affects a large part of France, making winegrowers and arborists fear the effects of frost on their crops .

“We already had quite a few flowers on the fruit trees, even already the composition of fruits, and on the vines we were already spreading leaves”, indicates Jérôme Volle. With the frost, “the bud turns black, and from there, there is a new shoot and the new shoot is not fruitful. So it’s actually a whole year’s work that has just been rolled away in a few minutes“, explains the winemaker.

“The impact is perhaps less significant than in 2021, knowing that we have not yet experienced the two coldest nights, Monday and Tuesday”, analyzes the winegrower. But according to him, there is “a real issue” for farmers, because despite the tools deployed to fight against frost, investments are heavy, and “to equip all the vineyards it is almost impossible economically”. And with the increase in frost episodes in recent years “the level of insurance is falling and wine growers or arborists are becoming demobilized”he adds.