In regions where temperatures hit the 40°C mark in recent weeks, such as southern France, farmers are struggling with parched soil, premature harvests, and the risk of sunburnt fruit. In Luxembourg too, temperatures rose above 35°C last week, yet for now this poses no real threat to producers. On the contrary, the conditions have actually proved favourable, explained Jean-Claude Muller, President of the Luxembourg Fruit-Growers’ Association and owner of the Muller-Lemmer farm.
Muller pointed out that 2024 had been an unusually wet year, which replenished groundwater reserves and strengthened the trees. As a result, this year has produced strong fruit growth. He stressed that both the quality and quantity of fruit are promising, noting that sunshine improves the aromatic character of the harvest, which has clearly worked to farmers’ advantage this year.
Compared to last year, when frost caused significant losses in some regions, the 2025 harvest is already a success. Muller emphasised that Luxembourg benefited from the absence of spring frosts, which allowed fruit to develop properly after flowering. He noted that apples, stone fruits such as mirabelles, and plums are all showing good yields this season.
The sector still faces challenges, however. Production in Luxembourg has stagnated in recent years despite earlier expansion in the early 2000s, when the country’s fruit-growing area grew to nearly 70–80 hectares of apples and pears and about 20 hectares of stone fruit. Muller explained that this stagnation is due partly to labour shortages, but most of all to water availability.
Water is critical in dry periods such as this summer. Muller underlined that every farm should have access to irrigation water to ensure stable yields. Without secure water supplies, he warned, no new producers are likely to enter the sector.
Insurance is another gap. Muller explained that while frost damage to some crops can be covered by insurance, no such policies exist for stone fruit such as mirabelles, plums, and cherries. In such cases, farms that risk collapse must rely on state aid, as happened last year when one producer received financial support from the government after losing its entire mirabelle crop.
Despite these structural limits, Luxembourg’s fruit industry, though relatively small, is performing well this season. Local produce is both abundant and of excellent quality, and for the moment there is no cause for concern in the fruit and vegetable sector.
