The chestnut campaign is underway in Spain with very limited volumes due to the poor quality in many producing areas at national level, as well as in other southern European countries. The markets are struggling to secure a supply and the prices of quality lots are very high.
"At this time of the year there is a high demand for chestnuts in Spain as All Saints' Day approaches. However, the supply is very limited, as there has been a drop in the production in Spain, as well as in France, Portugal, Italy, Greece, etc.," says Rocío Vázquez, from Castañas El Común, based in the Spanish municipality of Guadalupe, Caceres.
"In addition to pollination issues and lower yields, the crops have suffered many quality problems due to the presence of fungi, which has significantly contributed to the drop in the marketable production. The markets are struggling to secure a supply of quality chestnuts and prices are very high," she says.
In Guadalupe, Cáceres, the season started at the end of September with the earliest varieties. In this producing area, the harvest has not been severely affected so far, except for the impact of some blizzards last week.
"At the moment, the ripening of the next varieties to be harvested, such as the Negral and Judía, is a little behind. We are expecting to harvest these on November 15. We are also getting ready to start with our native variety Verata, the latest variety in Europe and the most representative in our area. In general, we expect good quality," she says.
"The truth is that the climate continues to change every year and autumns are warmer and sunnier, and this is having an impact on consumption, since the product is perceived as one to be consumed in the cold seasons. Moreover, the heat has an impact on the quality of chestnuts, especially at harvest time, as it facilitates the spread of fungi and also causes dehydration in the fruit. Fortunately, our Verata variety arrives very late, so it is not as affected by this phenomenon," she said.
Castañas El Común will continue marketing chestnuts until the Christmas period, "because after that, consumption drops quite a lot," said Rocío Vaázquez.
For more information:
Rocío Vázquez
Castañas El Común
10140 Guadalupe, Caceres. Spain
Tel. 0034 680 579 579
rocio@elcomun.net
www.elcomun.net