Spain: Stonefruit campaign to kick off 10 days earlier

The warm temperatures recorded during the autumn and winter are causing changes not only in the campaigns of many products currently available in the market, but are also determining when the summer fruit season will kick off, which apparently will happen early.

The stonefruit flowering is actually taking place about ten days earlier on average compared to the previous campaign in all major production areas of Spain, although there are areas, such as the region of Cieza, in Murcia, where the advance is of up to 15 days.

Most of the extra-early varieties of peaches and nectarines have entered their flowering stages in some areas of Murcia, the earliest production area, so, quite extraordinarily, growers can already be seen in the fields working on the thinning.

"If these prospects hold, the consequences for the sector could be really positive, as it will allow us to reach the market quicker compared to other origins. We'll have to go through thorough planning with large distributors, so that the entire production available at that time can be sold," explains Joaquín Gómez, president of APOEXPA (Association of Producers and Exporters of fruits and other agricultural products). "We thus expect to have significant quantities of peaches and nectarines from the second half of April," he added.

However, Joaquín Gómez also remains cautious, noting that "now we expect a period of fifteen to twenty days with some risk if a drop in temperatures was to take place, as this would affect both the volume and quality. From mid-February onwards, the threat from frosts will be much smaller."

Currently, according to the representative of APOEXPA, the earlier start of the campaign will have no impact in either the quality or volumes expected for the 2016 campaign.