In the Basque country, the producers of Itxassou are assessing the harvest, which looks to be catastrophic. Usually, the 30 members of the Xapata association harvest between 5 and 10 tons of fruit per year. In 2020, some producers, like Mirentxu Elissalde Parachu, with its organic orchard of 300 cherry trees, claims to have made only 10% of her annual harvest. Most of the fruits have been “devoured by birds”.
The team specialized in cherries from the Research Institute (INRA) in Bordeaux claims that global warming, especially the weather conditions of the past twelve months, are the reason behind such results. Indeed, the heatwave in the summer of 2019 was very bad for the buds. It was followed by a very mild winter, while cherry trees need temperatures to go below 0. Eventually, the spring brought a very heterogeneous and very long blooming phase.
However, the Xapata association continues to work towards obtaining the protected designation of origin (PDO). The president, Maryse Cachenaud, estimates that the file should “be closed by the end of the year”, concerning approximately 60 villages of Iparalde. It is a long process that can take several years to complete.
Source : francebleu.fr
