Three hail-hit seasons in five years forced the decision. The next June storm passed straight over — and the fruit came through clean.
Case Study · France
An apple orchard in the Rhône Valley had been hit by damaging hail in three of the previous five growing seasons. Each storm wrote off a share of the crop outright and downgraded much of the rest from fresh-market to juice pricing. With margins already tight, one more uninsured season like those was not an option — the orchard needed physical protection over the rows, installed before the storm window.
| Product | HDPE anti-hail netting |
| Mesh size | 4 × 8 mm |
| Weight | 55 gsm |
| Quantity | 1 × 40’HC container |
| Delivered | May 2025 |
| Destination | Rhône Valley, France |
Anti-hail netting works by absorbing and spreading the impact energy of hailstones across the knitted mesh. At 55 gsm in mono+mono construction, the net has the tensile strength to take repeated hits without tearing, while the 4 × 8 mm aperture stops hailstones before they reach the canopy. Reinforced edges with knitted eyelets let the net tension onto the orchard’s wire system and survive the wind that arrives with the storm.
The net was knitted from 100% virgin HDPE with UV protection — rated for 5–8 years of service, which is what turns hail netting from an expense into insurance with a payback.
“A June hailstorm passed straight over us and the fruit came through clean. This net pays for itself.”
— L. Moreau, Orchard Manager · Rhône Valley, France
Running a similar project? Send us your crop, climate and dimensions — we will spec and quote the same or better configuration within 24 hours, and can share container references for your region.