The stonefruit campaign started a few weeks ago in the production area of Fraga, in Huesca, where they have been harvesting and marketing cherries since April.
"The season kicked off between 8 and 10 days early, and we have had to compete against the same varieties from other producing areas, which has generated a feeling of oversupply. Also, the earliest production areas, Murcia and Andalusia, started marketing large amounts of fruit when there was hardly any demand because of the low temperatures. This caused prices to fall," explains Ramón Pascual, of the sales department of Summerfruit.
"Now the market seems to be getting busier with the rising temperatures."
According to Ramón Pascual, "as soon as it is hot, the demand increases immediately. At the moment, the demand is good, although current prices are too low for the time we are in. They would be more normal in August.
According to Ramón Pascual, nectarines and paraguayos are the fruits with the best sales, followed by apricots, and lastly, by peaches.
First fruit shipment to China in September, with less competition
Summerfruit has registered its plots and handling and packaging warehouse to be able to export fruit to the Chinese market.
This will be the first campaign with exports to this country. "Last year there was a shortage of fruit in Europe, so we were not in a hurry to ship to such faraway destinations." We will send mainly nectarines, and to a lesser extent, peaches and paraguayos exclusively grown for this market, guaranteed to resist the long shipment and arrive in perfect condition."
Good year for cherries
"The cherry season has gone very well so far, although the latest rains have taken a toll on the quality of the cherries, despite the fact that it has rained very little. Given that the product is so fragile when exposed to water, the flavour and firmness can often be affected," explains Ramón Pascual.
According to the producer and exporter, the cherry season has been marked so far by good demand and prices. "Overall, it's been a good year for cherries, with stable prices, without any ups and downs, and we have enough volumes available. In fact, right now, at the end of the season, there is a surge in demand due to the rising temperatures. The market is very dynamic."
The Fraga-based company exports its cherries to the European Union, mainly to the UK, Germany and Austria, and outside Europe, it continues to increase its shipments to Singapore, Honk Kong and Dubai.
More information:
Ramón Pascual
Summerfruit
Ctra. Nacional 221, km 329.
Fraga, Huesca. Spain
T: +34 974453915
M: +34 686980689
ramon@summerfruit.es
www.summerfruit.es