After two weeks of heavy rain and some hailstorms in certain production areas of Valencia, the kaki harvest has started for the young company Persimon Select SL., which hopes to start making its first shipments this Monday, weather permitting.
"The storms accompanied by hail have affected us all this year, causing a reduction in production volumes and a delay in the start of the season," said Bernardo Gómez, manager of Persimon Select. "This will lead to kaki shortages in the market, which will surely be reflected in higher prices that will remain stable throughout the campaign," he adds.
These adverse weather conditions add to the prolonged drought suffered during much of this year, which has resulted in a greater abundance of small and medium calibres. "Kakis are currently so demanded in many countries that calibres are important, but not decisive, except in markets such as Russia, which can't be accessed anyway because of the veto," he continues.
Select Persimon SL was created by the brothers Gómez Díez after many years committed to agriculture and numerous investments and efforts, after which they decided to manage their own kaki production firm.
Demand for this product is growing every year, leading some orange and mandarin producers to "migrate" to kakis, for both financial (due to profitability issues), as well as climatic factors. We also decided to switch part of our citrus production to kakis, which are currently our main product, without neglecting other fruits," explains Bernardo.
Persimon Select currently has about 42 hectares devoted to kaki production, although its short term goal as a young company is to reach 85 hectares and to continue searching for new markets.
"We remain expectant about the prospects for this kaki campaign regarding weather and the country's macroeconomic situation," he concludes.
For more information:
Bernardo Gómez
Persimon Select, S.L.
T: +34 96 152 30 00
M: +34 67912654
bernardo@persimonselect.com
www.persimonselect.com