The Spanish apple campaign is already underway in Aragon. There is a good harvest, although things are moving slowly and sizes are small.
"We started harvesting the first Gala in week 32. We have been doing this very slowly and picking only the fruits with more color," says Pedro Gil, manager of Agrícola Gil, who produces and markets apples and stone fruit. "The production process of the Galas has slowed down due to the high temperatures recorded this summer, so things have been going much slower than usual. After the Gala, we will start with the Reinette, which will be followed by the Golden, Granny, American Red, Fuji and Verdedoncella," he says.
According to the producer and exporter, "the harvest is good in terms of quantity, but not in terms of caliber. Unfortunately, the heat waves recorded this summer and the lack of rainfall have caused the calibers to fall very short."
Agrícola Gil's production is mainly intended for the domestic market, although the firm also ships small quantities to Portugal and France.
"Sales are slow at the moment due to the fact that there is still fruit from the southern hemisphere, as well as stocks from the European harvest. We expect normal market conditions, as the big production countries that compete directly with our apples, especially France, have had a good harvest. This applies also to Portugal, which is a good customer for Spain and also has a good harvest. It is true that Poland will exert less pressure this year, but many of the varieties they have don't have an impact on the Spanish domestic market, so that drop in the production will only affect us to a limited extent. Furthermore, other countries will step in and fill the gap left by Poland," says Pedro Gil.
"Quality of stone fruit isn't good, but prices are better this year"
Many speak of a difficult year for stone fruit in several producing areas of Spain. "This year is a challenging one, namely because the quality has been hit by the spring frosts, lack of rainfall in the pre-flowering season and the intense summer heat. It is difficult to have a good campaign if the quality is not up to the desired standard, although it is also true that prices are better than in other campaigns," says Pedro Gil.
The Aragonese company will finish the marketing campaign with peaches in October and with plums around December. "Sales, in a market with good weather like Europe's, are going well, and there are no significant stocks available, except in the case of plums, for which there is a much greater volume," he says.
The domestic market is increasingly attractive to Spanish exporters. According to Pedro Gil, "Spain is a great consumer of fruit, hence our usual dedication. In fact, we have colleagues who used to be focused exclusively on exports and have now become interested in the domestic market."
Some exporters have complained about the French refusal to import Spanish fruit, although Agrícola Gil has managed to continue in this business without problems. "It is true that as long as there is French product, the consumer prefers the local product, even if it is more expensive and of lower quality, but it is also true that the quality of stone fruit of France this year is not good either and that has allowed us to continue doing a good job in that market.
For more information:
Pedro Gil
Agrícola Gil
Ctra. Nacional II, Km 272.2
La Almunia de Doña Godina, Zaragoza. Spain
T: +34 976812240
M: +34 606972200
pedrogil@agricolagil.com
www.agricolagil.com