Rainfall damages early cherries in Jerte Valley

The heavy rains recorded in the Jerte Valley have caused some damage to early cherry varieties, such as the Burlat, resulting in 'cracked' skin. Apparently, the damage has concentrated in specific areas, so, while some producers have suffered important damage, "in global terms they will not be very serious and won't take as much of a toll as last season, when we were harvesting the Lapin variety and were about to start with the Picota," pointed out Miguel Perera, director of the Association of Cooperatives of the Jerte Valley.

The Jerte Valley cherry campaign kicked off on 20 May, about three weeks late compared to the usual dates. In any case, Miguel Perera affirms that the quality of the cherries is good. "The rainfall in May did not affect us because the harvest had been delayed," he explains. "Right now, we are starting with the harvest of the Navalinda variety, native of the Jerte Valley."

The Spanish cherry campaign started with very high prices due to the lower production in early areas, like Tarragona and south of Aragon, as a result of frost and rains in May. "We also started with high prices, although with the development of the harvest in other producing areas, prices have fallen; but they remain at interesting levels," states Miguel Perera.

According to the representative, demand is high in the export markets, while in the domestic market, consumption is fairly stagnant. "While taking into account that early cherries tend to perform in a less consistent manner than mid-season and late varieties, we are managing to export cherries to several European countries. This campaign we also hope to further strengthen our position in the Brazilian market and will enter the Colombian one. Also, we will increase our shipments to the Scandinavian countries and Hong Kong. The strategy is to diversify our markets to prevent having to rely on Western Europe."

Prospects point to a drop in the Jerte Valley's production this year. The acreage planted with cherries continues to grow gradually each year, despite the orographic limitations. While the Picota production will remain stable, that of La Vera and northern Extremadura will grow on an annual basis," concluded Miguel Perera.