The stone fruit campaign in Lleida had started about a week early and with a reduction in the harvest capacity of between 15 and 20%. The heavy storm accompanied by hail recorded on Tuesday afternoon, in addition to last week's hail and constant rainfall, will cause fruit shortages in July and August. How will the sector deal with this new scenario? We got an answer to this question from Josep Preseguer, manager of Fruits de Ponent, the largest stone fruit production cooperative in Europe, based in Alcarràs, Lleida.
"This hailstorm has been recorded at a time when the campaign was starting to take shape, with very good prospects in terms of demand and prices," says the representative of this cooperative. "Now the prospects of the many producers who have suffered this misfortune are no longer good. In the absence of more data about the impact of this storm, it can already be said that it has been of an important magnitude."
Hailstorms typically start in late July; it is not usual for these climatic adversities to take place before the end of spring. "Since the campaign kicked off a week early for the earliest varieties, the damage has been even greater. This is a very important area in terms of production; one of the largest European stone fruit growers during the months of July and August," says Josep Presseguer.
This is a year with little fruit, not only in Lleida, but also in other Spanish and European producing areas, such as Italy and France. "We were already starting with lower yields, following one of the rainiest springs on record in this area. There will therefore be moments of fruit shortage throughout the season."
"In previous weeks, the sector has made a great effort to compensate for the possible lack of specialized workers due to the closure of the borders caused by the COVID-19 health crisis. Now, the production volumes that we expect won't allow those incorporations of temporary workers. We will also have to rethink the programs with our clients and the destinations of our fruit, since the lower supply will make the situation more difficult to manage. Changes will be needed in all links of the production chain," says the manager of Fruits de Ponent.
As in other Spanish stone fruit producing areas (although to a lesser extent), Lleida has also uprooted stone fruit trees or switched to other crops. There have also been trend changes when it comes to the stone fruit species planted. "In Lleida, peaches have lost the most ground and have been replaced by almond trees by producers who could not assume the extra costs. At the same time, more apricots, nectarines and Paraguayo peaches are being planted. Producers are looking for more profitable alternatives. There is a reformulation of the sector's priorities, and more so in a campaign like this," says Josep Presseguer.
Although it will continue to rain in the coming days, temperatures are expected to rise again next week and the weather will stabilize. According to the manager of this cooperative, "it is very difficult to predict the weather well in advance, and this also applies to the consumer trends in summer, although the prospects were good in the spring. There is still a lot of uncertainty about how these aspects, as well as the economy in general, will develop. We have learned to move step by step and make decisions based on day-to-day events."
Regarding the export destinations of Fruits de Ponent, Josep Presseguer says that "this is not the right year to experiment in markets outside Europe, especially because of the supply we will have. In future campaigns, we hope to have the opportunity to diversify our markets. These are somewhat turbulent times, with many changes in the markets, so now it is better to wait. The focus this campaign will be on other aspects besides the effective cost of the fruit, namely health, social and environmental ones. We hope there will be more understanding and respect between all parts of the value chain, starting with those who make the fruit directly available to the consumer."
For more information:
Santi Bonet
Fruits de Ponent
T:+34 973 79 01 69
[email protected]
fruitsponent.com
