A heavy storm accompanied by hail –in some places, the size of a walnut– has hit Lleida and Huesca and affected the stone fruit producing areas of Torres de Segre, Soses, Alcarràs, Aitona, Binaced, Binefar, Ximenells, Alcolea de Cinca, Bellver de Cinca and Fraga.
According to Asaja Lleida, damage to plantations in Lleida's production areas ranges from 60 to 100%.
Producer and exporter Francesc Pena, manager of the Lleida-based company Olimpfruit, says that around 12,000 hectares of stone fruit, mainly nectarines, Paraguayo peaches and peaches, have been affected by hail. "We are talking about approximately half of Lleida's stone fruit production. Around 7,500 hectares have suffered more than 80% damage."
"In some extra-early areas of Lleida the harvest was already underway, but in most of the territory it was just about to start. It looked like it was going to be a good season, after some difficult years," says the producer and exporter. "We are talking about the most important nectarine, peach and Paraguayo peach production area for the months of July and August in Europe. It is clear that many operators will be unable to meet the orders they had received from their customers," says Francesc Pena.
This devastating hailstorm adds to the one recorded last week in Torres de Segre and Mollerusa, where in addition to stone fruit, other crops, such as pome fruit, were also affected.
The stone fruit harvest forecasts in Lleida provided by Afrucat already pointed to a reduction of between 15 and 20% in the production. Between July and August, the productions from Italy and France are also important, and these have also been seriously reduced this year because of the impact of frosts.
"This has been a real massacre," says a major producer from Huesca. "There was already a lack of nectarines and, to a lesser extent, of Paraguayo peaches that was being reflected in the prices, which are substantially higher this year. This hailstorm is going to change the course of the stone fruit campaign in Europe. The rules of the game have changed completely."
There are also fears that some marketers will try to market damaged fruit that has actually even been covered by Agroseguro, as this could drag down the prices of premium quality fruit, which will be scarce.
More accurate assessments, with more details on the extent of the impact of this storm, will follow in the coming days.