- 15 July 2025
- Return
Key data to help you organize your next French purchasing campaigns for essential oils, hydrosols and dried plants.
Edito
"In the midst of the year's harvests, we are pleased to send you our echo of the spring-summer 2025 campaigns. Although the downstream sectors of our business picked up in 2024, new geopolitical uncertainties are already undermining this momentum.
Uncertainties and instabilities are the main parameters of our daily work, in the commercial, logistical, climatic and regulatory fields...
Our companies and our producers must constantly adapt to changing environments, in which resilience, agility and creativity are essential if we are to survive.
The integration of HERBISSIMA into ELIXENS France is a key point for the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025. It is in line with this logic of resilience to further enhance the value of our plant production in various forms (essential oils; dried plants). It also strengthens the diversity of the markets we serve, and offers opportunities for technical synergies in the fields of services (heat treatment; pulverization; grinding and sorting...) and organoleptic solutions (natural plant flavoring, which we look forward to presenting to you).
To react quickly and appropriately, you need reliable information. In this new issue of From the fields in Dauphiné-Provence, we share the information we have that we feel is relevant to your short- and medium-term purchasing decisions.
The Elixens teams (in France, the United States and the United Kingdom) are at your side to talk about it."
Jean-Pascal ABDELLI, Elixens France Director
General background
Weather review
The weather is one of our major concerns, as it conditions the harvest.
Here we look back over the past few months and share future forecasts for our production area (Drôme, Gard, Alpes-de-Hautes-Provence).
Dauphiné – Provence : a season of cuttings, seedlings and plantations
Following the difficult 2024 season due to capricious weather, this winter was an opportunity to renew plantations, install new species and work on equipment maintenance and adaptations.
No significant weather events marked this winter in the region. Two episodes of frost above -5°C for several nights occurred in late December and mid-January in several parts of the region, causing occasional reversible damage to some crops. Rainfall was comparable to normal for the season, enabling groundwater levels to continue to rise. So much so that some plots with clay soils struggled to dry out.
Our partner nurseries have been busy sowing and taking cuttings to supply our growers this spring. The main species propagated were lavender, sage, marjoram and chamomile. Other new species of herbal plants were planted in 2025 and can be harvested this autumn to offer our partners: various mints, sage.
This winter was an opportunity to organize exchanges between Elixens' new tools and teams and the sector's partner growers. This led to projects to adapt certain harvesting and plant treatment equipment on the farms. These various projects are designed to meet customer requirements: improved quality, reduced impact and lower transport costs. We strive to find solutions that will not increase the workload either before or after harvesting. The importance of in-depth knowledge of our grower partners is fundamental to this type of project.
The beginning of spring also marked the start of sowing. Some Dauphiné-Provence growers are now experts in these delicate seed crops: cornflowers, mallows. Emergence began as the soil warmed up in April. Mechanical and manual weeding has also been resumed in preparation for the first thyme harvests, which will be arriving very soon.
Lavender and lavandin market
Updated data from our professional association (CIHEF) show a 10% reduction in the area under lavender and lavandin cultivation.
With 27,500 ha under cultivation, we are back to the level of the 2019 plot at the start of the “Lavandes Lavandins bubble”. The reduction in surface area is particularly noticeable in traditional basins, while new production zones are stabilizing their production potential. As a result, the profile of growers is changing, with “small” growers in traditional areas abandoning lavender cultivation on a massive scale, and larger growers in new areas renewing their production. There is every reason to believe that this dynamic will continue into the 2025 campaign.
The key parameters for the development of our industry remain :
- Consumption: this has picked up in recent months, but remains below the high levels seen 3 years ago.
- Total stock levels: we believe that for this campaign, given the dynamics of the plot and the very affected motivation of growers, consumption should be higher than actual production. This nuance is important, as it distinguishes actual production from declared production, which will in all likelihood include stock carried over from previous years. Total stocks in the sector should start to fall for the first time in several years.
- The level of available stock: a phenomenon of stock displacement has taken place in recent months. It seems that a significant and growing proportion of stock has moved from producers' cellars to the warehouses of various players in the sector. These stocks could accelerate the market turnaround as soon as the first tensions are felt.
- Production capacity: acreage under cultivation is set to decline further. The sanitary condition of less well-maintained or even unharvested plots is likely to drag down the campaign's production. The actual level of the 2025 harvest will also be an important parameter.
There is every reason to believe that once current stocks are empty, the market will experience a long period of tension, conducive to a resumption of price rises. While it is impossible to predict exactly when this situation will arise, ELIXENS France has long been working to promote sustainable alternatives for the supply of lavender products. With this in mind, ELIXENS France offers its customers medium-term contractual solutions, including a pricing framework. These commitments aim to offer a balanced and responsible partnership, and to anticipate future disequilibrium in the lavender market.
ZOOM on the Verbena, Mint, Rose, Orange and Patchouli markets
Verbena Market
- Paraguay origin : the 2024-2025 campaign was severely impacted by an intense drought, causing standing crops to dry out. Yields are therefore extremely low.
- Northern Africa origin : the first cut is underway. Volumes are up, quality has yet to be confirmed. We invite you to book your needs now to ensure that supplies meet your expectations.
- France origin : weather conditions have been favorable so far. A normal harvest is expected.
Organic peppermint and sweet mint market
Prices for these products are currently on the rise, mainly due to lower volumes available on the market. This is due to the Egyptian government's current agricultural policy, which strongly encourages the shift from non-food crops to food crops such as wheat. The aim is to reduce the country's dependence on cereal imports, against a backdrop of tense geopolitical conditions and heightened national food security.
Rose market
The campaign in Bulgaria ran from mid-May to the end of June.
It was marked by :
- A cold start with late frosts damaging stone fruit and rose buds.
- High temperatures from the end of May (over 30°C), affecting rose quality.
- An estimated 30% drop in production.
- Higher production costs and wages.
- A major announcement: changeover to the euro scheduled for January 1, 2026, already a source of inflation.
- Less labor shortage due to poor stone fruit harvest.
- On the positive side: CSR initiatives with harmonized practices among growers.
The Maghreb campaign ended several weeks ago. It should be noted that :
- Yields in 2025 below average due to lack of rain in previous years.
- Favorable weather conditions this year (rain, mild, sunny). Visible consequences: smaller flowers and less intense color.
Price rises are expected for roses of Bulgarian and Maghreb origin, with a likely upward trend in the years to come.
Orange Market
The market remains very tight, still under the combined effect of greening and climatic disturbances. All by-products are concerned: essential oils, terpenes, concentrated fractions (10x, 5x...). We strongly recommend that you anticipate your needs by contacting your Elixens sales representative, in order to secure your volumes and pricing conditions as quickly as possible.
Patchouli Market
Since the beginning of 2025, prices have shown a slight downward trend, in a market context that remains unstable. Producers are waiting for prices to recover before selling, while buyers are still hoping for a sharper decline: a stalemate remains.
Elixens France
Elixens France will publish its 2024 CSR report at the beginning of September. It will review our company's environmental and social progress with customers, suppliers and employees. You can read about the most significant actions and results in our 2024 Ethics and CSR Report.
Elixens France is a member of the HEPNA association.
Acronym for Huiles Essentielles Pures et Naturelles, this young association works to defend and promote pure, natural essential oils.
Ensuring fair product quality for our customers is one of the 6 principles of the ELIXENS France CSR Charter. The high cost of the extracts we produce, and the remoteness and/or low purchasing power of the production zones, are the main risk factors for our sourcing, particularly that of product adulteration, a major risk in our business.
Elixens is committed honestly to providing its customers with high-quality products, in particular by :
- Sourcing as much as possible directly from producers our company knows and assesses
- Strict control of suppliers' products and practices
- Formalizing the product specifications supplied by means of a complete bundle of documents.
HEPNA's initiative contributes to better control over the quality of essential oils by sharing information and pooling a number of actions, particularly in the highly specialized and complicated field of analytical control.
Defending Pure and Natural Essential Oils also means fighting against discriminatory commercial practices that mislead not only serious producers and processors, but also consumers.
Activity report 2024: Elixens supports the Biopartenaire association
- Changes to the association's articles of association:
Increased producer representation on the Board of Directors.
Creation of two new colleges: retailers involved in the
“Magasins ambassadeurs” program, and third-party partners (associations, unions, consumer representatives, etc.).
- Business picks up in specialized organic networks, despite the decline in the number of sales outlets :
The remaining stores recorded a +5% increase in footfall.
The Biopartenaire label remains resilient: sales stable in 2023-2024, in a generally declining market. Encouraging outlook for 2025.
- Association growth:
Growing membership: from 56 in 2020 to 99 in 2024, with new memberships on the way.
- Highlighting the label's pioneers:
The BIOPARTENAIRE standard enters its 8th year!
Distinction for long-standing partners, including SICA BIOPLANTES and Elixens France, partners for 15 years. Cross-testimonial from Claire Chastan (SICA BIOPLANTES) and Jean-Pascal Abdelli (Elixens France). Launch of the “Magasins Ambassadeurs BIOPARTENAIRE” program (2024) in the Biomonde network. Target 2025: 50 new stores committed to this program, creating a coherent ecosystem from producer to consumer.
Quality and Certifications
In line with its commitment to quality and sustainable development, Elixens France recently renewed its ISO 22000, COSMOS and Fiable certifications. These certifications testify to the company's rigorous approach to maintaining high standards, in line with the requirements of its partners and the market.
In addition, the renewal of BIOPARTENAIRE certification reflects Elixens France's commitment to responsible practices that respect producers, environment and societal expectations.
Finally, we are pleased to announce the renewal of IFS certification for our Vaison-la-Romaine site. This recognition confirms the compliance of our activities with international quality and food safety standards.
In April 2025, we were awarded the Ecovadis Silver medal for fiscal year 2024, in recognition of our commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This distinction testifies to our ongoing efforts in terms of ethics, the environment, social practices and responsible purchasing. It ranks us in the top 25% of companies assessed by Ecovadis. We are pursuing our approach of continuous improvement to achieve an ever more sustainable impact.
Does this report meet your expectations?
Our team is at your disposal for any further information or to study your projects, and invites you to consult our online brochure.