During her visit to the La Vega de Cieza Cooperative, Sara Rubira, the Regional Minister for Water, Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, stated that the Region of Murcia expected to produce more than 356,000 tons of excellent quality stone fruits this season, which will be marketed in Spain and exported to third countries.
The sector expects to produce more than 285,000 tons of peaches, 59,000 tons of apricots, 7,500 tons of plums, and more than 3,700 tons of cherries. "These figures would be much higher, but the hail in May caused the sector to lose 58,000 tons of stone fruit," the regional minister stated.
"Our fruit has an unbeatable taste, texture, and magnificent properties thanks to our farmers and the great work they do despite the numerous challenges they face. Reaching these figures year after year without them or water would be impossible," she stressed.
In 2024, the Region of Murcia exported a total of 142,784 tons worth 256 million euros, accounting for 19 per cent of national exports.
These figures have consolidated the Region of Murcia as Spain's leading apricot exporting region with 29,935 tons, worth 55,606,088 euros. The Region of Murcia accounts for 31.8% of the national apricot.
92% of stone fruit exports are destined for European countries. Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands are the main markets.
New insurance model
Last October, the regional government, Enesa, and Agroseguro agreed to implement a new insurance module for fruit trees, specifically for the Region of Murcia. "It reflects our agro-climatic conditions, taking into account contracting and its technical viability."
This new module brings together all the insurable species in a single policy and jointly includes the two most worrying risks for farmers, hail and frost, with the calculation of compensation per plot, including coverage for exceptional risks.
The agricultural insurance system in the Region of Murcia involves an average annual contracting of around 9,000 insurance policies. More than 3,300 of these policies, i.e., more than 40 per cent of the total, correspond to the fruit tree line.
In 2024, the regional government earmarked a total of 5.4 million euros to subsidize policy contracting, i.e., nearly 23 per cent more than in 2023. "That amount will grow again in 2025," Rubira stated.
For more information:
Region of Murcia
www.carm.es