"July and August will be good for Spanish stone fruit and pears, with the Italian production declining"

After the good sales and prices achieved by Spanish stone fruit in May and June, the situation in July and August is also expected to be positive, with a full stone fruit harvest and a lack of Italian competition due to the impact of floods. Spanish pears will also benefit from this.

"We have had a very good stone fruit season in Andalusia in May, with good demand, high prices, and Andalusia standing out as a quality supplier, despite the smaller sizes due to the impact of drought and the lower number of chilling hours," said Carlos Echeveste, of the Frutaria Group.

"In Badajoz we are also achieving generally good results with all products, especially with plums, whose consumption remains good. There is currently a production gap between two flagship varieties (Black Splendor and Crimson Globe), which is helping keep prices at premium levels until the end of the season. We expect, however, a significant drop in the production of the Angeleno variety, which will start to be harvested between the end of August and the beginning of September," said Carlos.

At the moment, according to Carlos Echeveste, there is still some saturation in the Paraguayo market as a result of an overlap between the rushed end of the season in Murcia and the premature start of the harvesting in Lleida and Aragon. "However, there is demand for quality Paraguayos, which are reaching decent prices, all things considered."

Carlos Echeveste highlighted the success in the sale of Ondine flat nectarines, whose campaign started a week ago. "They are doing very well thanks to the great acceptance they are enjoying in the market. It is a unique and outstanding club line, with a productive calendar lasting from the end of June to the beginning of September. We are very satisfied with their agronomic performance, taste and consumer acceptance."

After a good May and June for Frutaria, they expect also a successful campaign in July and August. "Unlike last year, when the producing areas of Lleida and Aragon lost more than 70% of the production due to frosts in April and heat waves that started in May, this year we have a full harvest and the right quality. Torrential rains lasting for several weeks in Emilia-Romagna, in Italy, caused the harvest of this important producing area to be severely reduced, so it will hardly be able to compete with Spanish exports," he said.

The limited presence of Italy will also apply to pears, of which the Limonera and Ercolini varieties are already being harvested. "Pears are an important product for Frutaria. Spanish pears will undoubtedly benefit from the drop in the production in other countries in Europe. It will surely be one of the lowest harvests in the last 10 years. In fact, many buying and selling operations are already taking place with high prices being paid," he says.

"We have very good prospects when it comes to prices, given the high demand for varieties like the Williams, a staple product in supermarkets in central Europe that is highly appreciated by the industry and by overseas markets, or the Abate Fetel, an essential variety in the high-value European market."