The frosts of late November last year, as well as the frosts and hail storms recorded in spring and summer this year, have entailed a reduction in Valencia's estimated kaki production. For now, the total volume this campaign is expected to fall by more than 30%.
"Frosts have affected 80% of our own production," says Germán Gómez, manager of Persimon Select. "Last year's frosts had already left us without fruit in the last stage of the campaign, and the frosts in spring this year, together with the hail storms, have significantly reduced our production in one of the main areas for the cultivation of kakis."
According to the producer and marketer, the consequences of these weather adversities could also have a negative impact on market prices, despite the reduction of the volume available.
"In addition to the fruit that has been lost directly, there are large quantities of kakis that could have to be sold as a second class product because of the hail marks on the skin. If the market is filled with second class products, two things could happen: either the prices of this damaged fruit push the prices of first class or extra quality fruit, or the price gap between the categories becomes very wide. There is still uncertainty in this regard," says Germán Gómez.
Since last Sunday, more heavy showers have been recorded, and these could also take a toll on the development of the harvest and on the fruit quality. "These rains will prevent many farmers from carrying out the treatments to accelerate the fruit's ripening, and those who have already done so, will also have to harvest later. For this reason, I foresee that the start of the campaign will be slow and that there will only be small volumes available in the first weeks."
Based on the most recent harvest forecasts, the purchase prices of kakis at origin are currently set at around 38 cents per kilogram.
For more information:
Persimon Select, S.L.
T: +34 96 152 30 00
German Gómez
german@persimonselect.com
Bernardo Gómez
bernardo@persimonselect.com