The 2025 harvest of perfume plants began about ten days earlier this year on the Valensole Plateau, around 20 June. This early start is directly linked to the intense heat in June and the lack of water, which caused significant water stress during a critical growth period. The result: premature drying of the plants before they reached full maturity. On the Albion Plateau, the same weather conditions also had an impact, with visible signs of plant decline in the fields. However, the harvest there was less early due to the higher altitude.
The campaign was also shorter than usual, largely due to the sharp reduction in areas planted with Lavandin, which have declined by an average of 10% per year over the past four years due to market conditions. In 2024, the total area under cultivation for both Lavandin and Lavender fell below 2019 levels, with a more pronounced drop in historic growing areas, according to CAP data shared by FranceAgriMer. The context of overproduction is therefore no longer relevant.
Other setbacks disrupted the harvest, starting with the violent hailstorm that hit the Valensole Plateau on the evening of 30 June. Some plots of Clary Sage, which had been windrowed just hours earlier, could not be ensiled, as the storm compromised the wilting stage, leading to partial crop losses. Thunderstorms and strong gusts of wind also slowed down cutting operations, causing temporary shutdowns at the distilleries and impacting overall productivity.
Pests also weighed heavily on this year’s campaign. Cutworm caterpillars were observed on Clary Sage seedlings and crops, as well as on adjacent Lavandin fields, with a very high risk level—particularly on the Albion Plateau, where the Clary Sage harvest had to be brought forward. In Valensole, caterpillar attacks were also reported on Oregano and Lavandin, causing significant damage in some farms, though less severe than two years ago. Attacks were also reported in the Baronnies and Diois regions, and the leafhopper—carrier of the Stolbur decline—was observed across all growing areas.
It is still too early to provide an accurate assessment of yields, as the 2025 harvest has not yet been completed in some areas. However, initial observations suggest an overall decline in yields for Clary Sage, Lavandin, and Lavender. We will be in a better position to share more precise data in early autumn, when the new marketing campaign is launched.
Photo credit : © Vincent Ghesquière
