According to the 2016 Fruit production survey, apple production during the 2015/2016 harvest was estimated at 37,675 tons, 32% lower than in the previous harvest and the lowest record achieved since 1994. The average production yield was 15.2 tons per hectare.
The different agricultural and meteorological phenomena that occurred during the development of the crops investigated, and that affected all species (although with different intensities), must be taken into account when analysing the results of the harvest in question.
This harvest was affected by a lack of cold snaps in winter, a rainy spring that affected the flowering stage of different species, and other events.
The crops were also affected by high temperatures in January and a major water deficit that only started to improve around mid-February when the crops were already well advanced.
Pear crops had the biggest losses. Production was estimated at 4,986 tons, 40% down on the previous year. This is reflected in the yields obtained, which decreased from 18 tons per hectare in the previous harvest to 7 tons per hectare in the current harvest.
The weather events also strongly affected the seasonal and late peach production. Production amounted to 12,858 tons, i.e. 17% less than in the previous year. The average yield, which in 2015 amounted to 11 tons per hectare, was 9.8 tons per hectare.
Plum crops also showed a significant drop (-32% over the previous year), as they only amounted to 1,259 tons and had a yield of 5.2 tons per hectare.
The production of nectarine and quince increased by 10% over 2015. The nectarine harvest amounted to 1,550 tons (11.1 tons per hectare), and quince production to 4653 tons, i.e. 28.3 tons per hectare.
The 2016 Fruit production Survey was conducted in June and its main objective was to obtain estimates of how many plants there were in the country and of the production of the major deciduous fruit trees. The information was gathered through interviews with 335 farmers, whose crops constitute a representative sample of the sector being investigated.
Source: elobservador.com.uy