The harvest of the earliest cherry varieties, such as the Early Bigi, has already started in the province of Tarragona. This year, the availability of early varieties is up to 80% lower than in a normal campaign, depending on the region.
"The trees do not bear as much fruit due to the impact of the frosts recorded in mid-February," explains to FreshPlaza David Manero, partner of Cerima Cherries, a leading Catalan company in the production and marketing of cherries, which is now making its first shipments to Europe.
"I don't think there will be significant volumes of cherries in the market at least until the first or second week of May, and this will result in prices staying at high levels for longer than in previous campaigns," he adds.
According to the exporter, the relevance of extra-early varieties in the market is questionable, since they are more sensitive and cannot travel very long distances. "They are the varieties that allow us to gain a foothold in the market at the start of the season," he points out.
According to the exporter, the varieties that will be harvested in early May "will reach good sizes and quality," he affirms. "Most of our production consists of such varieties; those that are harder and more consistent, such as the Red Pacific, Nimba, Frisco, Santina, Lapin etc., which are intended for the most demanding markets."
Will Turkey become a real threat this year?
With the Russian veto on Turkish horticultural products, more Turkish cherries are expected to be shipped to Europe. "We already have our existing, consolidated customers. We started the campaign before Turkey and we have a greater proximity to European destinations. They will surely compete, but we don't see that as a real threat," assured David Manero.
Cerima Cherries to double its production in three years
Cerima Cherries only sells its own cherry production and already has about 400 hectares planted. "Half of these hectares are not yet in full production, although we anticipate that they will be within 2 or 3 years. While we currently produce about 2 million kilos of cherries per campaign, within 3 years we will have capacity to produce 5 million kilos, which will entail a constant expansion of our handling infrastructure," states David Manero.
Cerima Cherries has three brands: Wapa, Cerima and Delice, all three with similar quality standards.
For more information:
David Manero
Cerima Cherries
T: +34 977 418 346
M: +34 696 869 388
cerima@cerimacherries.com
www.cerimacherries.com