Rainfall complicates development of Vinalopó Valley table grape campaign

The Vinalopó Valley's table grape campaign is being affected, once again, by the impact of rainfall, which has caused a reduction in the white grape production of about 30%.

"Excess moisture has resulted in the appearance of diseases such as powdery mildew. There are areas where not a single kilo can be harvested," states Miriam Cutillas, of the Alicante-based company Uvasdoce.

"We'll have to offset these losses by importing Italian grapes ahead of the harvest of the Aledo variety," she affirms.

These circumstances add up to previous difficulties. "Last year, we had a very positive year in terms of price, but things will be more difficult this season. Many companies have started marketing their products fearing the impact of the rains, so supply has been excessive at times, with fruit that did not meet the necessary quality standards," she explains. "Moreover, supermarket chains also take advantage of these situations to conduct promotions, which ultimately causes prices to plunge."

Furthermore, red grapes are taking longer to acquire the right colouring due to the high temperatures in summer. "We hope the situation will change from October."