A fruit that seduces the whole world
However, when it was founded in 1906, Maison Cotolot, which transformed its own volumes from its agricultural holding in order to be able to market them, was more focused on the local: “There was then a desire to stand out from other processors by seeking export markets. And it’s quite complex: the regulations change almost every year, there are very important documentary procedures…” explains Claire Gaillard, director of the company managed by Christophe Valcarenghi.
Faced with relentless competition on national markets, the company of 21 employees did not hesitate to quickly turn international. And, very quickly, Maison Cotolot had to respond to the desire for prunes from all over the world, particularly from North Africa and Asia. “One might think that prunes remain a marginal product, which is not a primary necessity, and, in fact, we realize that they are consumed almost everywhere in the world. For us, our competitors abroad, it is mainly South America. And, today, we are present in almost every country, except North America,” she explains.
Difficult times for prunes
Just like the fifty producers with whom the company works, Maison Cotolot has borne the brunt of the last unsatisfactory harvests. While in 2022, the company suffered like its competitors a shortage of fruit linked to the frost of April 2021 and was only able to purchase 2,000 tonnes during the 2021 harvest, that of 2024 did not meet all expectations. “In recent years, we thought about getting our heads out of the water a little. Finally, we were caught up by the geopolitical context, in particular the war in Ukraine, or by the increase in the cost of energy, and that added even more difficulties to us. And then, when we have little volume to offer to our customers for two consecutive years, we have to work extra hard to make up for the missing volume,” adds the manager of the company, which usually sells between 3,000 and 4,000 tonnes of prunes per year for manufacturers and wholesalers.
