The national apple and pear harvest estimates have been adjusted downwards in the current 2016/17 season, according to the latest data supplied by Cooperativas Agroalimentarias of Spain. 496,803 tonnes of apples are now expected; an increase of 3.17% compared to the previous season, instead of the 509,455 tonnes estimated in August. The current figure will be similar (-0.20%) to the average for the period 2006-2015 (497,774 tonnes).
For pears, the production should reach 295,883 tonnes (-14.07% compared to 2015/16), instead of the 302,701 tonnes originally expected, with a significant 32.05% drop compared to the average for the period 2006-2015 (435,453 tonnes).
In apples, the almost 3.2% growth expected is due to the recovery of the Catalan harvests (+11.14% and 308.700 tonnes) and the stability in Aragon (+0.14% and 101,128 tonnes).
By varieties, increases over the previous season have been achieved by the Golden, with 253,929 tonnes (+4.5%), the Gala, with 80,192 tonnes (+11%); the red, with 37,084 tonnes (+0.03%) or the Fuji, with 35,930 tonnes (+14.83%), while the Reineta has dropped by almost 30%, with 28,086 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the Spanish pear production has fallen to a greater or lesser extent in all major producing regions. The most important ones are Catalonia, with 136,160 tonnes (-7,83%), Aragon, with 40,031 tonnes (-33.5%), La Rioja, with 55.190 tonnes, and Murcia, with 22,143 tonnes (-20.6%).
By varieties, the Conference harvest volume has dropped by almost 10.7%, with 143,807 tonnes. Also down are the Blanquilla, with 36,601 tonnes (-16.34%), the Ercoli-Coscia, with 31,341 tonnes (-21.2%), the William's for processing, with 27,749 tonnes (-19.4%) or the Limonera Guyot, with 27,304 tonnes (-11%).
The excessive rains in late spring and the persistent episodes of summer storms, as well as the removal of plantations due to their low profitability compared to other fruit trees, are the main factors behind this drop.
Source: agronegocios.es
