The table grape campaign continues in Alicante with the harvest and marketing of grapes of varieties such as the white seeded Moscatel and Doña Maria and the red seeded Red Globe. According to Francisco Velasco, sales manager of the company Frutas Velasco & Hijos, based in Monforte del Cid, the frequent rainfall is causing the season to be more difficult.
"In late August, we suffered the collapse of two of our vines due to a strong storm accompanied by hail. At this time, we expect a harvest of around 2 million kilos, rather than the 3 million kilos that we had initially expected. The rains are causing quality problems in the fruit and we are forced to discard a lot of it before its sale for fresh consumption," explains Francisco Velasco. "Furthermore, the prices paid are not helping us offset these losses," he adds.
Although the campaign has not been easy, the producer is optimistic with the market's reception of the new image and colorful packaging of its table grapes. "This gives them added value, which has a positive influence on sales," he says.
The Alicante-based company produces mainly seeded grapes, which are mostly distributed in the domestic market. The campaign, which started in July, will come to an end in December with the traditional white seeded variety Aledo, used for Spain's popular New Year's Eve celebration.