The Spanish stone fruit season has just begun. Staay Food Group has been a major player in the product group for years. We asked Nico Veldhoen about his season's expectations. "The current demand is low since the season has only just started. When prices reach commercial levels, demand usually increases immediately."
"Spanish peach and nectarine production will be somewhat lower than in 2019. That is due to fewer fruit settings. An unknown number of stone fruit trees, mostly peach, have been felled too. That is in all the production areas. The peach supply is, therefore, decreasing. Cherry production should be the same as last year. The rain will mean lower production for Burtlat varieties. But only in the first fortnight. Overall, enough fruit seems to be on its way," says Nico.
Almost no return freight
According to Nico, the coronavirus' effect on sales is yet to be determined. "The impact is certainly noticeable in the chain. Freight costs are considerably higher than under normal circumstances. There is almost no return freight either. This also affects sales prices. All warehouse employees have to maintain a 1.5m distance while working too. That proportionally affects packing speeds. Last but not least, field workers are still the biggest issue. There is a general shortage of these."
When asked how the weather extremes will affect Spanish production, Nico answers, "Everything points to a very early season. That is thanks to February's summer weather. That, however, leveled off in recent weeks. Temperatures dropped, and the weather started fluctuating. As things stand now, the early fruit's quality may be slightly affected by this. But, everything seems to be going well for the long-term. Lerida and Badajoz are certainly not affected by this at all."
Stone fruit remains a popular seasonal product to make up summer volumes, according to Nico. "Apricots, cherries, nectarines, and paraguayos increase every year. The demand for peaches keeps dropping. Another trend is the clearly increasing demand for cardboard packaging materials. That cannot (yet) be applied to everything on a large scale."
For more information:
Nico Veldhoen
Staay-Hispa
Tel: +31 (0) 180 679 142
Email: Nico.Veldhoen@staay-hispa.nl
Website: www.staayfoodgroup.nl