Cherry producers in Alfândega da Fé are waiting to confront "another terrible year," according to the president of the local agricultural cooperative, production reduction reached half of what it was for fifth consecutive year.
Eduardo Tavares estimated to count about 50 tonnes in the harvest, which is about to begin. This represents a third of the productive capacity of the province, which has been affected, in the last five years, by the adverse weather.
The cold of the month of April "did not help the smooth development of the cherry which led to many losses in bloom" of the later varieties, according to the leader of the cooperative responsible for 50 hectares of orchards. "There have been several bad consecutive years because of rain, ice, and cold," he said to the Lusa agency.