Catalonia’s stonefruit producers are likely to benefit from an improved crop this season, with official estimates from the north-eastern Spanish region forecasting that the overall harvest will rise by 11 per cent compared with 2010.
In its first forecast for the coming campaign, the Catalonian department of agriculture said that this year’s Catalan stonefruit crop, primarily comprising peaches and nectarines was expected to increase to 400,640 tonnes this season.
Among the 2011 crop, the Catalan authorities said that the peach harvest would rise by 18 per cent to 171,400 tonnes, while the nectarine crop would also increase by 12 per cent compared with the season before to 171,540 tonnes.
In a statement, the department of agriculture said new orchards coming into production and improved yields from existing sites were the principal reasons for the expected increase in the overall crop.
Much of this production increase is likely to be seen in the province of Lleida, which accounts for by far the majority of Catalonia’s stonefruit output.
