The Argentine fruit growers of the Alto Valle region are concerned at the lack of fruit for the next harvest season of pears and apples.
According to data provided by the farmers, the decline in production could reach 40 or 50 percent in some areas and they attribute this situation to the weather conditions, such as the frosts and rains that affected the normal development of orchards.
"We've noticed that there are less fruits in many areas, surely because of the frosts and rains. This caused complications for the buds, "said Roberto Aguirre, producer at Fernández Oro and vice president of that town's chamber, adding that "we know from the data that there will be a 40% decrease of Williams pears and 50% for the Packham's and D' Anjou varieties. In apples, the average decrease would be around 50%."
He noted that "officials of the Department of Pomology are concerned but do not recognize it. They asked us to wait until the 15th of this month, which makes sense, to have a clearer picture of the situation."
Source: Lmneuquen.com.ar