"The fruit has developed, but it has been smaller and of lower quality. At least 40 million tonnes have been thrown away," assures Ricardo Soria, of Frutas Olivar. A sudden drop in temperatures can bring the growth of the fruits to a halt, leaving them with an unattractive size. Not to mention the impact of storms and windstorms in spring, when plums, nectarines or apricots are tiny and therefore vulnerable.
They won't necessarily fall to the ground, but the movement will cause some rubbing and the peel will be scarred. "When their appearance is damaged, it is impossible to sell them on the market. Between 30% and 40% of the stone fruit has not been marketed due to its appearance," explains the head of the Fruits department of the Union of Small Producers and Livestock Farmers (UPA). Antonio Moreno also highlighted the impact of the high temperatures.
The winter is very short; autumns look like summers and the harvests start earlier or later for that reason. "If there is not enough cold, we see alterations in the production process." That is what happens with peaches and apricots in Murcia. This dynamic is resulting in some production campaign overlaps, which in turn lead to tensions in the markets. That is what has happened with melons in Murcia and Castile-La Mancha, or with grapes, according to the technical services of ASAJA.
Estimates point to around 35 million hectolitres this year, down from 44 million in 2016. The climate has devastated mainly the Ribera del Duero harvests, which have been halved.
Even though the fruit's appearance leaves much to be desired, the peach production has grown by 7.6% in Spain compared to last year's campaign. The same happens with nectarines (+11.3%) and apricots (+6.8%), among other stone fruits. These are data from the Ministry of Agriculture, updated on 31 August 2017.
Source: El Confidencial
