The Spanish table grape harvest kicked off about two weeks ago in the Region of Murcia, the fruit's main producing area in the country. At the moment, the production stands out for its quality, better than last year's, since it has not been affected by any adverse weather conditions. Therefore, the fruit is expected to perform better commercially.
"We are already in our third week of the table grape campaign, harvesting greater and greater volumes until we reach our full capacity in August. The harvest will continue until the end of October and, for the time being, the prospects in terms of both volumes and quality for the months of August and September are ideal," said David Franco, of Grupo Paloma's commercial department.
Last year, the rains, followed by a prolonged heat wave, caused many quality issues that made it significantly difficult to market the fruit in the desired conditions. "The temperatures this summer, while hot, are falling within the expected range, with the exception of some occasional peaks. Fruit development has been very good and we have a product with very good size, color and flavor parameters," he says.
"Also, we have made significant investments in infrastructure to allow the crops to adapt to a climate that has undoubtedly changed over the last 20 years, and which continues to change," says David Franco. "It is essential to control all this, considering we are dealing with a crop that is expensive to produce and which is really just for specialists."
In these first weeks, the Spanish production competes mostly with Egypt's, and then it will be time for Italy, which continues renewing its varieties, aiming to have a greater seedless grape supply. "I believe that Spanish producers have invested a lot in varietal innovation and handling. Moreover, their service is hard to beat and, as a whole, it has become a highly reputable option for large European distribution chains."
"It is still too early to predict this year's consumption dynamics, and we cannot forget that many products have been hit harder by rising prices as a result of inflation. However, we have good prospects, considering the quality supply we have this year. Fortunately, table grapes have been experiencing growth in terms of consumption at all times of the year for several years, regardless of their origin. Also, for supermarket chains, it is a product that ensures greater stability and planning capacity, compared to other products," says David Franco.
More than 90% of the Spanish table grape production is intended for export. This is also the case for Grupo Paloma, which exports mainly to the United Kingdom and Germany, as well as, to a lesser extent, to other countries, such as Switzerland, the Baltic countries and some overseas destinations.
For more information:
David Franco
Grupo Paloma
T: +34 968590001
[email protected]
www.gpaloma.com
