Following a very stable spring, prospects are great for the Spanish stone fruit campaign in the country's early regions, such as Murcia and the Region of Valencia. "This year we have a very good quality production. The weather conditions have been much better than last year, when we had rain during the flowering and heatwaves that caused the fruit to ripen too quickly," says Fernando MartÃ, from Morondo.
"This year, the fruit has had the conditions it needed during the flowering and ripening, and even before, as we had more hours of cold than last year. At the moment, we are also having plenty of sunlight, which is going to result in fruit with very high Brix levels from the start of the campaign."
"In Morondo, the stone fruit campaign is focused on apricots and flat peaches. We have our farms in Valencia, but a few years ago, we chose to produce some extra-early varieties in the Murcia area that are starting to yield results this year. In fact, we will have acceptable volumes and very good quality at a time when there is a very interesting commercial window."
"We work with supermarkets throughout the entire campaign, but wholesale markets, for example in France, tend to prefer local fruit, and when the French apricots arrive, they are prioritized. That's why we have specialized in an extra-early apricot that reaches the market before the French apricot."
"It must be taken into account that not just any apricot will succeed in France. French consumers highly appreciate flavor; a trend that is also spreading to other countries, such as Germany. That is why, in recent years, we have been replacing our plantations of extra-early varieties with new ones that meet the demands of these very important markets for Spanish apricots," says Fernando.
"With flat peaches, we are also focusing on working with tasty varieties and on the introduction of extra-early varieties. In general, when it comes to stone fruit, we consider it essential to relentlessly seek varieties that meet the sector's needs and respond to consumer demands. Thus, we believe that varietal research is playing an essential role in the horticultural sector in general, and especially in stone fruit."
"Consumers are already eager for stone fruit. In Spain, and increasingly also in Europe, temperatures are rising and wholesale markets and supermarkets are already looking at switching to spring and summer fruit."
"We will start with apricots in week 16 and with flat peaches at the end of week 17. At Morondo, we will have the capacity to meet the market's needs with quality stone fruit from the very start. We will be present in all supermarket chains and many wholesale markets in Europe, but also in more distant destinations, such as the United Arab Emirates or Malaysia, where our apricots and flat peaches are highly appreciated."
For more information:
Morondo
Sector Industrial I-1 PM 2-3
46814 La Granja de la Costera, Valencia, Spain
jamarti@morondo.com
www.morondo.es