The stone fruit harvest is already starting in the earliest areas of the Spanish Region of Murcia, with an overall delay of between 4 and 7 days due to milder than usual temperatures and prospects to export around 400,000 tons in a campaign that will run from late April to mid-June.
"The first volumes are already being harvested, although these remain limited for now. From next week onwards, we should have more significant volumes, and we'll be able to start opening up programs with large-scale retailers," says Apoexpa president Joaquín Gómez.
© Armas Vladimir | Dreamstime
The trees have had enough hours of cold and, in general, there's fruit of a wide range of sizes, although these are expected to continue growing in the coming weeks.
According to Joaquin Gómez, decent volumes are expected for all species, with the exception of apricots, whose production could drop by around 50%. However, since there will be fewer pieces per tree, there will also be an abundance of large sizes. "Apricots have been the most challenging crop to grow for years now," he says.
Growers are also increasingly choosing to cultivate platerinas. "The acreage is expanding because the varieties have improved a lot when it comes to pistil closure and cracking issues. It's a fruit with a very good external appearance and very much appreciated for its flavor, so both consumption and production are on the rise," says the president of Apoexpa.
The sector is hoping for good weather in Spain and the rest of Europe to encourage stone fruit consumption, although it's also concerned about the rising cost of fuel and other inputs, which have worsened since the start of the war in Iran.
For more information:
APOEXPA
C. San Martín de Porres, 3
30001 Murcia, Spain.
T: +34 968 20 48 72
[email protected]
apoexpa.es
