"Spain: "We're awaiting the opening of Indonesia's market to our cherries"

"Asia is becoming increasingly important for Spanish cherries, even though China has not yet opened its market," explains Domingo Fraile, manager of Campo y Tierra del Jerte. They are interesting markets, despite the great competition with the United States, which has more experience and infinitely cheaper logistics. Asia pays very well for quality cherries. We are awaiting the opening of Indonesia's market soon, after the visit of the country's quality inspectors last week. We look forward to making the first shipments next year."

50% of the Picota cherries of this Extremadura-based company are sold in the domestic market, while the other half is intended for the United Kingdom. However, there are increasingly more market alternatives, as the cherries reach destinations as far away as Malaysia, Honk Kong or Singapore.

The cherry campaign continues developing in the Jerte valley, where they have already been working for a few days with Picota cherries (peduncle-free cherries). While last season the volumes were disappointing, this year the situation has been the opposite, since there has even been an excessive concentration of supply at given times during the campaign which has pushed prices down too much.

"Given the difficulties recorded this campaign, it has become clear that good growers will always manage to make things work, while those who fail to do an adequate job will find it difficult to sell their fruit," states Domingo Fraile.

"We started the season with some quality issues because of the rains; the same happened just like last week and that will make the last stretch of the season a bit more difficult. Nevertheless, when it comes to the quality of the cherries, it should be noted that it has been excellent throughout the season. We cannot recall a month of June with such good quality," he explains.

Plum production has fallen this year in Extremadura, Spain's main producing area. "Since it has been such a tough year for the stone fruit sector, we hope that the smaller plum production will allow for better sales and higher prices when compared to other fruits," he points out.

Campo y Tierra del Jerte was the first Spanish company ever to ship plums to China. "Now we are waiting for the first plums of the special varietal program we have developed for this market. Meanwhile, we are also exporting to Europe and Latin America."