Europe has seen a dramatic rise in production of flat peaches, which are forecast to be 230 per cent higher than the average volume for 2009-13 this season at just over 285,000 tonnes, in stark contrast with a 7 per cent drop in the volume of round peaches being produced over the same period.
Click here to download the 2015 European stonefruit forecastand click here to download the 2015 European apricot forecast.
Following an earlier forecast made for European apricot production, new data published at the annual Europêch meeting in Perpignan, France, suggest the volume of peaches and nectarines expected across Europe this season will be just 1 per cent above that seen last year at 3.7m tonnes, or 2.98m tonnes without clingstone varieties normally destined for processing.
The crop is understood to be running around 7-10 days late, but according to Italian agency CSO, which reported the meeting’s headline figures in a press release, this lag could decrease if there is plenty of good weather over the next few months.
Unlike apricots, it appears a mild winter in key production areas and adverse conditions including rain and light frosts during the flowering stage have not led to a fall in the supply of peaches, nectarines and clingstones, which are also included in the forecast.
What may be different in 2015 is the amount of thinning required, which is likely to be less than in 2014, said CSO.
The forecast overall figure of 3.7m tonnes is around 3 per cent higher than the five-year average for 2009-13 and is close to what would be described as full production for Europe.
Nevertheless, variations have been noted across the continent depending on which specific areas are in full production, wit the north of Spain showing an increase while France and northern Italy anticipate smaller crops.
Peaches for the fresh market in Europe should amount to around 1.22m tonnes this year, 3 per cent above last year’s figure, with the massive percentage rise in flat peaches marginally outweighing the loss of round peach volume.
Spain remains the epicentre of that rise in flat peach production and, while plantings have slowed in the last couple of years, investments made during 2010-13 are set to result in a 12 per cent year-on-year volume increase for 2015.
Greece is expected to produce 235,000 tonnes of round peaches (+2 per cent on 2014), Italy just under 567,000 tonnes (+11.7 per cent), Spain around 298,000 tonnes (-1 per cent) and France just shy of 115,300 tonnes (-2.7 per cent).
For nectarines, meanwhile, Europe’s crop is forecast at 1.48m tonnes, 1 per cent lower than in 2014 but 1 per cent higher than the 2009-13 average.
Production of the fruit is up compared with last season in Spain (+3.8 per cent at 547,801 tonnes) but down in Italy (-2 per cent and 747,627 tonnes), Greece (-1 per cent at 82,000 tonnes) and France (-7 per cent at 99,510 tonnes).
As far as clingstone peaches are concerned, CSO reported that, after a continued decrease in the last few years, production appears to be stabilising in the main supply countries Greece and Spain.
