Uruguayan apple production is expected to have a high production the season.
In years where a very high fruit production is obtained, quality is affected because of fruits of small caliber, as well as lack of color and flavor, affecting the sale price obtained for the product. However, in years of low fruit production, fruit with excessive size that also affects the quality and commercialization is obtained.
Analyzing historical information on prices and quality of the Mercado Modelo, the fruit of medium size (68-72 mm) and large (72-80 mm) is the one that gets the best price and speed of sale.
Given the potential for high production in 2013, it is likely to reconfirm the supply of fruit of small caliber with the consequent difficulty in marketing and low price.
In this framework, to improve the final fruit size, reduce the irregularity and achieve uniformity in the production every year, the practice of fruit thinning is one of the most important tasks in the management of apples, as recommended by the technicians.
According to information obtained by a survey done by INIA-MGAP/DIEA on the technology used in apple growing, thinning is done by 92% of producers in the industry, within which 69% only use manual thinning and the remaining 23% use chemical and manual thinning.
The most alternate bearing effect is observed in 2010-2012 with a difference in the production compared to 2011 around 30%, either by having increased compared to 2010 or dropped by the year 2012.
Source: El Observador.