The first peaches and nectarines of the season will be available from the end of this week/start of the next in the Spanish province of Alicante, in farms like those of the members of the Best Fruit cooperative association.
"This week, we will start harvesting the first peaches, and in the next, we will continue with the nectarines," says Álvaro Guillamón Muñoz, manager of the cooperative based in Abanilla, which brings together producers from Murcia and Alicante. "Our competitive advantage lies in having this extra-early fruit, which we cultivate in areas close to the coast, mainly Pilar de la Horadada and Campoamor, and which allows us to reach the markets earlier."
"In May, we will continue with apricots, which we grow in the Villena area, and with cherries grown in the mountains of Alicante, which have a designation of origin, and we will carry on until July. Regarding other stone fruit varieties, we plan to produce some flat peaches and platerina peaches through collaborations with local growers, as well as table grapes, which we will start marketing in August."
"In general, we expect good fruit volumes thanks to the absence of frost or hail problems. Rain, as always, will be a determining factor, but I've learned that, in this sector, making predictions or trying to play the fortune teller before starting a campaign is just that, a game. Things can change within hours," says Álvaro. "We'll see how the market reacts to this high supply. We need to remain cautious in this regard."
"Regarding citrus fruits, it has been a very difficult campaign, mainly marked by the entry of fruit from third countries against which it is very difficult to compete, mainly because we don't have a level playing field. I hope measures will be taken in this regard. It's a delicate issue with many hidden interests that, unfortunately, are beyond our control."
"We haven't been doing too badly here, at Best Fruit, but we have to keep up with the work we have been doing since we started this journey, strengthen our current commercial relationships and aim for more. The concentration of the supply that investment groups are promoting is a factor to keep in mind. From my point of view, any producers who are not part of a larger organization are facing the risk of disappearing."
Regarding stone fruit, "in our area, we are among the first to reach the market, and although companies and cooperatives in the sector have limited negotiating power because of the pressure from large investment groups within the fruit sector, we can still differentiate ourselves and make our extra-early fruit stand out."
"And the best part is that, right now, there is already demand for stone fruit and the prospects among operators are good. In fact, if we were already harvesting, everything would be sold immediately and at a good price."
For more information:
Best Fruit
Carretera de Abanilla-Orihuela (km 413), KM 1,5
30640 Abanilla, Murcia, Spain
Tel.: +34 968 409 694
info@bestfruit.es
https://bestfruit.es