Only 100 % French dried fruit, Agen's prune has undertaken to win back the hearts of the French with a new advertising campaign broadcast in September on the two major national channels M6 and TF1.
From the beginning of August to mid-September, Professionals mobilized to ensure the harvesting of the plums arrived at maturity before moving on to the key stage of drying, which will obtain the famous Agen prune, IGP labeled production (protected geographical indication) Since 2002. N ° 1 of the dried fruit department, Agen IGP prune comes from a production located in six departments in the Southwest : Lot-et-Garonne, The Dordogne, The Gironde, Tarn-et-Garonne, The Gers and the Lot. For 750 producers and 48 local processing companies, The harvest marks the culmination of several months of work carried out in compliance with the requirements of the IGP specifications. Harvested at full maturity to guarantee the organoleptic quality of production, The plums of hearing are then washed, sorted, Then dried on claies in ovens called drying tunnels. A single passage from around 20 to 24 hours to 75 ° C allows the complete transformation of the cool plum in prune. Out of the way, Fruits are conditioned locally, ensuring complete traceability. Three kilos : This is the average amount of fresh plums needed to make a kilo of prunes.
Decrendy production
The sector had to face several vagaries this year again this year. Violent thunderstorms that occurred in Lot-et-Garonne and in a large part of the production area, mid-May and late June, accompanied by rain, wind and hail, impacted the orchards by causing falls of fruit (which are lost) or by damaging the fruits that will not be valuable in mouth fruits and will be used for industrial use (prune cream or prune juice for example). Since these episodes and despite high temperatures which can cause sunburn on the fruits and cause their fall, The summer sunshine periods suggest organoleptic quality at the rendezvous. These climatic events will have consequences on the production volume, And harvest 2025 promises to be less than 30,500 tonnes of the 2024 harvest, already mediocre in volume with regard to the historic average of the sector.
Well-being in a fruit
Naturally sweet, a very low content of fat and saturated fatty acids, no added sugar, low in salt, Fiber source and rich in antioxidants, Agen's prune is full of assets to please as many, from children to athletes and pregnant women or even seniors. Available all year round, in sachet or in bulk, Driven or whole, It gets carried away easily to be tasted as snacks in the middle of the day, before or after a sports session. It is the essential ingredient of many regional specialties, And he finds his place in sweet or savory recipes of the latest culinary trends, as well as in cocktails.
