The cherry growers in the province expect this campaign to be the best one of the last 15 years. The harvest, provided the rains do not hinder it, could amount to 8 million kilos, a figure that is very close to the field's maximum potential. So far, the flowering process is developing optimally, thanks to the winter's low temperatures, which have allowed the trees to adequately rest.
The president of the PDO Montaña de Alicante, Mark Simon, stated that "the winter has been cold enough to allow the trees to rest, and so far things are going well. We've only lacked a little rain in recent months, which would have been perfect."
If the harvest reaches 8 million kilos the sector will have its most important campaign in the last 15 years, as, with a few specific exemptions, the campaigns have been quite disastrous.
Last year, production was reduced to 40%, because the fruit did not form correctly and the rains amidst the campaign caused significant losses. "The remaining cherries had a very high quality, but it wasn't enough to compensate for the losses," said Simon.
A good harvest would also mean a major boost for employment in agriculture, as the cherry demands intensive labour tasks to collect it, to classify it and to package it. Moreover, achieving a good production would also facilitate exports, an area in which there are higher benefits.
Mark Simon appealed for caution on the basis that the cherry is very sensitive, especially in the harvest season, when the rain could cause very large losses.
The campaign is scheduled to begin in late April, with the early varieties, and to extend throughout May and early June. The sector hopes for good weather, to make up for the previous bad season.
Source: diarioinformacion.com