The Peach and Nectarine Contact Group of the Fruits and Vegetables Joint Committee of France, Spain and Italy has held its annual meeting in Murcia.
At the meeting, sector professionals from the three countries, which account for most of the EU's production, have taken stock of the 2018 campaign and shared information about the prospects for the 2019 peach and nectarine harvest, which is already underway, and about the market situation in the first weeks of the campaign. They concluded that this year's fruit volumes will return to normal after the reduction recorded in 2018 in most regions, which was a consequence of various climatic incidents. In any case, the levels reached in 2017 won't be matched.
The president for stone fruit of Cooperativas Agroalimentarias of Spain, Javier Basols, presented the national estimate, reporting that there will be a "normal" volume. The Spanish production of peaches and nectarines will amount to 1,604,380 tons; that is, some 130,000 tons more than in 2018. This is 9% more than in the previous season, which was marked by multiple climatic incidents.
Of the total, peaches account for 331.762 tons; nectarines for 635,141 tons; Paraguayo peaches for 331.776 tons, and pavias for 305,701 tons. These figures are far from those of 2017 (-6%, 100,000 tons less). Compared to 2018, the productions that have grown the most are those of nectarines (+15%) and Paraguayo peaches (+12%), while the peach volume has grown by 6%, and the pavia production remains stable.
By regions, the most noteworthy increase in the production is that of Catalonia, which is estimated to reach 521,000 tons. This applies especially to Paraguayo peaches (142,590 tons) and nectarines (232,000 tons), with year-on-year increases of around 30%. Meanwhile, the peach production has amounted to 122,740 tons (+18%). These increases can be explained by the fact that the harvest in 2018 was abnormally low.
The second most important region is Aragon, whose production in 2019 is expected to remain similar to that recorded in 2018, totaling 504,494 tons. The Paraguayo peach and pavia productions should remain similar to those of the previous year, with 79,459 tons and 153,115 tons, respectively, while the peach production, expected to reach 87,067 tons, will be 9% greater, and the nectarine volume will amount to 184,853 tons, which is 7% more compared to 2018. These two autonomous regions, which together account for 64% of the Spanish supply in 2019, should in any case supply lower volumes than those recorded in 2017.
In 2019, Murcia, the main producer of early fruit in the country, expects to have a similar volume to that of 2018, with a total of 268,000 tons. The region's Paraguayo peach production should amount to 89,000 tons, while both the peach and nectarine productions will grow by 10%, reaching 42,000 tons and 77,000 tons, respectively. These increases would compensate for the reduction of the yellow peach harvest (60,000 tons; 17% less than in 2018).
Extremadura is the only region where the production, totaling 108,569 tons, will fall in 2019. Both Paraguayo peaches and pavias should record 41% increases, reaching 12,354 tons and 5,415 tons, respectively, while its biggest productions will fall, delivering 34,178 tons of peaches (-30%) and 56,622 tons of nectarines.
In 2019, Andalusia should be able to supply a slightly higher volume, with 5% more than last year, reaching 101,415 tons. Of this volume, 65,466 tons will be nectarines and the rest will be peaches. The Region of Valencia should see a recovery of its peach and nectarine productions, with 8,000 tons and 13,000 tons, respectively, while the Paraguayo peach harvest will remain at a similar level to that of the previous two years, with 6,500 tons.
The representatives of the French sector recalled the figures reported at the end of April at MEDFEL, according to which, the peach and nectarine production in 2019 is expected to amount to 210,219 tons. This is 17% more than the volume registered in 2018 (also reduced by frost), but 3% less than the average harvest of the last five years. This figure would come to confirm the stabilization of the production in Spain's neighboring country.
In the case of Italy, the sector also announced the recovery of the production in all areas, after the heavy losses caused by frost in 2018, especially in the south. Thus, production in the southern regions should increase by around 20%, while in the north, the production of peaches and nectarines will be more similar to that of 2018, with 5% increases. Globally, Italy will produce slightly more than 550,000 tons of peaches and 650,000 tons of nectarines, which entails global increases of close to 15%, compared to 2018. In any case, the total volume, which amounts to 1,300,000 tons, stands 5% below the Italian supply of 2017.
During the meeting, sector representatives agreed that the beginning of the 2019 campaign in the EU has been marked by good weather and good fruit quality up until the end of April, despite slight problems caused by frost and spring rains in the early regions. It was also reported that the low temperatures recorded in May in central and northern Europe have slowed sales down, keeping the producers of the earliest Spanish regions on alert. But the professionals trust that the climate from now on will be more favorable, thereby stimulating the consumption of summer fruit, and that price levels will reflect the quality and normal production volume of the Spanish campaign.
More information: www.agro-alimentarias.coop