"The market demands increasingly more red stonefruit"

The stonefruit season has already started, and with good quality, since this year the fruit has had the necessary hours of cold. "Last year, we lacked more than 200 hours of cold; this year, however, the apricot harvest kicked off a few days in advance in Murcia for varieties like the Colorado and up to two weeks in advance for later varieties, like the Flopría. Early nectarines are also being harvested, which, unlike apricots, are arriving a few days later because of the January cold waves," explains Thomas Chevaillier of PSB Producción Vegetal.

"We are shipping the first pallets to Germany, France and Belgium, where the fruit is well-accepted and high prices are paid at the moment thanks to the good weather. It is worth noting that Spain is one of the only producing countries that have escaped the impact of the recent frosts.

"The market increasingly prefers red fruit"

The company based in Murcia produces and exports, but is also devoted to the breeding of stonefruit varieties. "Being producers and exporters to more than 15 countries allows us to be familiar with the tastes and preferences of consumers, as well as the needs of the growers, when it comes to developing new varieties," points out Thomas. We keep an eye on the plantations of all the countries in which we make tests in order to monitor their adaptation."

"We used to breed very productive varieties with a long shelf life," Thomas recalls. "At present, we also seek to enhance the taste, improve the texture and the fruit's appearance, with a preference for bright red colours. The market demands red fruits. They started developing bicolour varieties and now fully red nectarines are becoming more common. We believe that the same will happen with apricots; that is why we decided to go ahead and develop the red apricot line Red Premium, with a fully red skin, a great flavour and a good texture, which we started marketing last year," explains Thomas Chevaillier.

"If we want red varieties to succeed in the market and set a precedent, it's crucial they're good to eat," continues Thomas. "That's why we only rely on professional growers, because with red apricots it is very difficult to know what their optimal harvest time is. At the moment, we follow the strategy of selling this product in small volumes, but with the guarantee that they have been properly grown."

Red Premium kicks off with the first Totem apricots in mid-May and continues with the Fire in late May and the Cyrano in early June. Later, we complete the range with the self-fertile varieties Bolero and César for the month of June. "The Totem is a splendid variety to start, although I think that the Fire and Cyrano are the best in every way. We are monitoring new varieties that will extend the Premium Red calendar from the beginning of May until August."

Starting this week, PSB is opening its doors and inviting professionals to visit their test fields and commercial farms to showcase their innovations in nectarine, peach, Paraguayo peach and apricot varieties. "We start the visits in Murcia and from early June until September it will be possible to visit our fields in Lleida and France."

For more information:
Thomas Chevaillier
PSB Producción Vegetal
Apdo. de Correos Nº 3, Cp. 30.176
Pliego. Murcia. Spain
T: +34 868 08 14 19
M: +34 620810125
thomas@psbproduccionvegetal.com
www.psbproduccionvegetal.com