The fields of Murcia are recording good temperatures that are helping the crops reach good Brix levels. Apoexpa reports that Murcia could supply the market this week with about 6,000 tonnes of stonefruit, since large supermarket chains are already starting to demand it. The association estimates that some 3,000 tonnes of nectarines, 1,500 tonnes of peaches, 1,000 tonnes of apricots and 500 tonnes of Paraguayo peaches will be shipped.
Apricot production down by 25 to 30%
Murcia's apricot production will fall by between 25 and 30% due to problems with the setting caused by the high temperatures recorded during the winter, in the late blooming period, report producers and exporters. In other areas, such as Extremadura, the fall in the production could reach up to 50%. The problem is that apricot trees need many hours of cold in winter for a good fruit setting and this has not been the case.
The apricot harvest kicked off about ten days ago in Murcia and the coast of Huelva, and in Murcia and Seville it is only just starting.
Prices are not as high as they should be at this time
The volumes of stonefruit currently available are generally still insignificant. While the campaign this year has started between 7 and 10 days earlier, depending on the production areas, "the fruit is reaching its export destinations in Europe under unfavourable conditions when it comes to the weather, since it is mostly rainy and cold, and this is not encouraging consumption," explains Santiago Vázquez, of Vega de Cieza, in Murcia.
"While apricot prices are pretty good, those of peaches and nectarines are not as high as they should be at this time, given the low supply," he adds. "When the heat arrives, the shortage of fruit, caused by frosts in February, will likely become more noticeable."