“French cherries, soon a souvenir?
The sector is worried about its future.
She fears a drastic drop in the harvest because she cannot neutralize the Asian fruit fly that is attacking her orchards.
While the trees are not yet in bloom, the cherry season promises to be gloomy due to the banning of a molecule used to fight against Drosophila suzukii, a tiny invasive midge that arrived in France about ten years ago. years, explain the producers.
As a result, around thirty tractors converged at the start of the week on the main square of Tournon-sur-Rhône (Ardèche).
On the hoods, panels sum up the distress of the demonstrators: "Grandpa planted, dad too and I have to tear up", says one of the messages.
The sector is upwind in the main producing departments: Vaucluse, Gard, Rhône and even Ardèche.
A destructive fly
The European Commission refused at the beginning of 2022 to renew the registration of phosmet, due to "unacceptable risks for operators, workers, passers-by and residents", pointed out by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa).
The decision also noted “a high acute and chronic risk for consumers” as well as for wildlife.
After a grace period of ten months, this molecule and its associated product, Imidan, are banned in France, to the chagrin of these farmers.
“From mid-June, we will no longer be able to pick cherries,” says Florian Minodier, arborist in Ardèche.
In question, this Drosophila Suzukii, which reproduces at lightning speed and lays its eggs in ripe red fruits, particularly when the weather is hot and humid.
Seven years ago, the ban on a first molecule also deemed toxic by health authorities, dimethoate, had already increased the workload, add these producers.
Other not ideal solutions
According to them, the products still authorized (Success 4, Exirel, Karate Zeon, in particular) would require more treatments for an even reduced effectiveness.
“At night we treat, during the day we pick up, and despite everything we are always afraid that the cherries will be bitten”, testifies Aurélien Gayet, arborist in the Rhône.
Another solution is to put nets on the cherry trees to prevent flies from reaching the fruit.
But for the many hillside orchards, the implementation is complex, assure these producers.
Beyond the investment of several tens of thousands of euros, the nets induce dissuasive constraints, they continue.
“It would require us to resize all the trees, not to mention that the nets are not made for our traditional orchards, which are sometimes not mechanized”, explains Alain Arquillère, producer in Saint-Julien-sur-Bibost (Rhône).
The Ministry of Agriculture is due to receive the producers soon.
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