Many kinds of fruit in France are more expensive than usual this summer, mainly because of production losses caused by early spring frosts.

Cherries are so rare at open-air market stalls in the Essonne region of the Paris region that they can cost as much as 12.80 euros per kilo, Le Parisien newspaper reported. At Carrefour supermarkets in the province, cherries were slightly cheaper, but also at 8.99 euros per kilogram, still higher than in previous years. Bertrand Arhan, head of the fruit and vegetable purchasing department at Carrefour, confirmed that cherries, which used to cost around 5 euros per kilogram, now cost more than 7 euros or 8 euros per kilogram.

Stephanie Pratt, president of the National Federation of Fruit Growers, explained that this was mainly due to severe frosts in early April, which damaged the production of some fruits, such as cherries and apricots, with the Auvergne-Rhones region, one of the main fruit producing regions, worst affected. France's apricot production in 2021 is estimated to be 47,000 tons, a sharp drop of 43 percent from 2020, according to data provided by the French Council for Fruit and Vegetable Interindustry.

Fruit farmers are the first victims of bad weather. As part of the "frost plan", the French government has announced measures to support agriculture and wine-growing. But as well as farmers, consumers are also affected, with the less fruit they produce, the higher the price. Laurent Grandin, president of the French Council of Fruits and Vegetables, said cherry prices had risen 20 percent this year compared with previous years, while apricot prices were about 10 percent more expensive at the moment, but prices were likely to rise further. Bertrand Arhan also confirmed that the current average price of French apricots sold in Carrefour supermarkets is 3.99 euros per kg, while the average price of Frenchgrown organic apricots is about 7.95 euros per kg. "I am more worried about the quotation at the end of June, as the supply continues to decrease, the price pressure will be greater."

In addition to the lower production, for retailers, cherries and other fruits require a lot of sorting before they reach the shelves, with more staff assigned to sorting them this year because frost can sometimes damage the fruit's appearance. Laurent Grandin urged consumers to support French products, saying, "Some fruits have a small flaw, but it does not detract from their quality."

Ms Platt also warned consumers to be on guard against fraud, with many opportunists taking advantage by buying the fruit abroad and selling it as French produce, a practice that has increased this year due to low yields in France.