Catalonia's initial prospects for the apple harvest, issued in June, predicted excellent production volumes, with an expected 20% interannual growth compared to the 2012 season; however, as a direct consequence of the poor weather conditions, mainly hailstorms that took place in June and July, prospects were reduced.
The current harvest prospects for Catalonia are now marked by a nearly 4% drop in production volumes, with a total estimated at almost 243,000 tonnes, according to data from Catalonia's Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food and Environment and the Association of Catalonian Fruit Businesses (Afrucat).
Regarding calibres, similarly to other European producing areas, an overall drop is expected for the coming campaign.
Compared to last season, there is an average delay in the harvest of 7 to 10 days, depending on the variety and the area, although in the province of Girona the delays can be of up to 15 days. This year, intense manual thinning was necessary, as thinning chemicals were not sufficiently effective due to the low temperatures registered during the spring.
Just like every year, a varietal conversion has been carried out to introduce varieties that are better fitted to the area's agroclimatic conditions and to the market's demands.
Source: valenciafruits.com