"Too few Spanish plums, rest of stone fruit supply on par"

There was a massive shortage of Spanish stone fruit at the start of the season. Now, however, there is a sufficient supply on the market. "Over the last few weeks, the consumption of watermelons and melons has been very disappointing. We need higher temperatures. In the next three weeks, there will be large volumes coming to the market from Murcia. So, hot weather will be most welcome", says Luis Ochoa of the Dutch fresh produce wholesaler, Olympic Fruit.

"It is also almost time for school holidays. The economic growth may lead to more Dutch people going abroad on holiday. This can have consequences for the consumption of these fruits", explains the importer. He sees the share in peaches being increasingly taken over by the paraguayo. "I expect that, in the coming years, we will see fewer and fewer peaches on the market. Nectarines and paraguayos will become the most important stone fruit products on the market, by far."

The only stonefruit that is experiencing shortages on the market is plums. "Companies in Badajoz suffered a lot of damage because of the bad weather. This is causing a shortage on the market at the moment. Plums are quite pricey, regardless of the variety. Italy will come on the market at the beginning of July. The question remains whether this will lighten the market", concludes Luis.