The stone fruit season has already started in the Spanish province of Huelva with the harvest of the first extra early peaches and nectarines from protected cultivation, around a week later than usual, after a rainy winter.
"We have been harvesting white and yellow-fleshed nectarines for around a week. These volumes remain limited for now and are mainly intended for the domestic market," says Victoria Martín, from the marketing and sales department of Plus Berries. "Next week (week 16), we will also start harvesting peaches, so we'll have all supply lines in Spain running, and we'll also be able to start exporting."
© PlusBerries
Despite the slight delay, Victoria Martín highlights the good development of the extra-early fruit. "This year, the trees have had a good winter rest, with sufficient hours of cold in November, December, and January. We've had abundant rain, which has delayed the flowering and affected the fruit set of the less early varieties, which could result in a lower amount of fruit on the trees."
"The fact that, after a rainy period, the weather has been mild and sunny since the end of February has allowed us to start the season with fruit with clean skin, a good color, and high Brix", she says.
Plus Berries will have a similar acreage as in the previous season, although it continues to introduce new varieties. "Significant progress is being achieved with the genetics of all stone fruit species, and we want varieties that meet the market demands," says Victoria Martín.
© PlusBerries
Spanish nectarines are arriving at a time when there's hardly any stone fruit left from the Southern Hemisphere, and their quality is no longer adequate. "We hope it will be well-received in European markets. The fruit's prices are high because of the lack of supply, but so are the costs," she says.
Plus Berries has 250 hectares of crops on the Huelva coast, mainly between the municipalities of Lepe and Isla Cristina. "We have the capacity to open supply lines and guarantee sufficient volumes to all our clients from the beginning of spring. We offer fruit with very high quality and food safety standards that is grown locally in Europe for European markets," says Victoria Martín.
For more information:
Victoria Martín
Grupo Plus Berries
M: +34 673109821
T: +34 959504454
[email protected]
plusberries.com
