Spain: The 2013 pear campaign has been marked by hail and frost

The 2013 Spanish seed fruit campaign has had a 20 day delay for all varieties and has been marked by adverse weather, especially by hail and frost that have had an impact on the fruit's quality, as was the case in the producing area of Jiloca Paracuellos in Zaragoza (Aragon) affected by ice.

"We started harvests of Ercolini pear in early August. In late August we began collecting the Blanquilla pear and at the beginning of September we proceeded with the harvest of the Conference pear in the province of Zaragoza. This last one will end today or tomorrow and will be kept in storage," says Arturo Erruz, manager of Frutas Erruz.

"This year we collected a smaller production of Blanquilla pear, which has been damaged by ice that, among other things, affected the fruit's appearance; it caused injuries to the fruit's skin. Meanwhile, the Conference pears' problem is that it developed at a smaller size," he says.

Despite the Blanquilla's quality, pear prices in the fields have been high. The first games of Conference pear, which were not affected by hail, obtained very interesting prices: between 0.45 and 0.50 € per kilo, "something we did not understand because there was a high offer. We believe it was due to the joy with which the last season finished," explains Arturo Erruz.