The Spanish cherry season is expected to start in April with extra early varieties. A cold snap swept through the country in week nine, bringing snowfall to higher ground, but early indications are that this was too early to have a detrimental effect on any cherry crops.
Earliest of the extra-early varieties and well protected from the vagaries of the weather is trade-marked premium brand Glamour Cherries. Grown by SAT Edoa at its production base in the Lerida area of Catalonia, this year's campaign will be starting even sooner than normal on 15 March.
The fruit is grown entirely under covers. The company has three greenhouse structures that cover 45,000m2, protecting the crop from inclement weather as well as from pests such as birds, and meaning that SAT Edoa can begin harvesting on the same date every year.
Volumes are expected to reach some 75,000kg this season, a number that is roughly in line with output from last year.
Fruit is predominantly destined for export and SAT Edoa’s markets for Glamour, in order of importance, are Russia, UAE, France, UK, Qatar, Singapore, Italy, the domestic Spanish market, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.
Although commercial manager Oscar Ortiz confirms that plantings of new trees are not increasing 'for the moment', SAT Edoa is developing new markets for its fruit.
'The process is generally repeated in each case,' he explains. 'After the first year of introduction on a marketplace, the results are predominantly very varied, then in the second and third year we mostly see sales climb. There is usually an increase in sales of between 15 and 25 per cent.'
Undoubtedly, a major selling point for Glamour is its extremely early marketing window, which is unprecedented in Europe.
'Glamour's great and exclusive difference is its harvesting period from March to April, just in the gap in production that exists between Southern and Northern Hemisphere cherries,' Ortiz continues. 'So really it distinguishes itself from other cherries in terms of its season, but also in its homogeneity and consistency in taste from the first cherry to the last, and in the customised packaging formats we offer in over-wrapped black bamboo baskets, wicker baskets and branded punnets, for example.'
Not content to rest on these laurels however, SAT Edoa has been working hard on research and development over the past year, looking at improving quality still further.
'We hope to see the fruits of this work by way of an even more excellent cherry whose Glamour-ous taste really sticks in the memories of our customers,' Ortiz adds. 'We are also really looking forward to our debut with Glamour Cherries at Loblaws stores in Canada this season.'
