Paris--France's famous Agen prunes have seen their market share shrivel in recent years under pressure from Chilean growers, but local farmers have ploughed money into modern methods in a bid to save their plums.
The rolling valleys in the Lot-et-Garonne region of southwest France are speckled with the white flowers of plum blossoms at this time of year.
They are all from the Ente plum variety -- the only one approved by French authorities -- with a history that dates back at least to the 13th century and has given the resulting prunes a legendary status.
During the peak harvest in late summer, the air fills with the scent of caramel and plum as the farmers dry out their fruits in large gas ovens, producing the distinctly rich flavour.
But pressure from global competitors has taken its toll.
"We were navel-gazing and thinking we were perfect," says farmer Patrick Leger, standing beside his picturesque orchard.
"In the 90s, the Chileans came here and took our savoir-faire, and then our markets by offering much lower prices. We were almost wiped out," says Leger, who has the physique of a rugby player, another speciality of the region.
Part of the problem was the small scale of production in the region. Traditional orchards were only 15 to 20 hectares (37 to 50 acres) in Agen, compared with over 300 hectares in Chile.
"Compared to them, we are like gardeners," said Leger.
In just a few years, Chile has leapt to the number two spot in prune production -- producing some 80,000 tonnes a year, just behind California which is on around 100,000.
Agen is falling far behind, with around 45,000 tonnes.
AFP
