How is the new season shaping up?
Pedro García: The outlook is very positive and all the indications are that we can expect a good quality crop this year. Growing conditions have been favourable up to now, with sufficient chill hours and rainfall. However, harvesting is running a few days behind because of the cooler temperatures at the end of April.
What are your expectations for the European market? What impact is Turkey’s growing presence in this market having on Spain?
PG: Europe is a market where the production of several European and non-European countries converges –including Turkey. A lot more could, and should, be done to promote fruit consumption. Otherwise, production increases will cause a serious imbalance between supply and demand and this could trigger a major crisis as we have seen in other fruits.
There has been a surge of interest in cherries among producers and many have been tempted to switch their production from other fruits. If the rate of conversion accelerates it could trigger the destruction of a sector which, until now, has been quite profitable.
What’s new at ACVJ? Have you expanded your production area or made any other significant investments this season?
PG: We are a very dynamic company and are constantly striving to improve the quality of our offer. We are working on a number of projects, including the installation of a state-of-the-art digital calibrator at our packhouse. We hope that our customers will approve of these and other investments when they see the quality difference in our products.
How can improvements in selection and packing technology help producers to access more distant markets?
PG: The machinery is undoubtedly an important element but not the only consideration –every part of the chain is vital to improving quality, from production to harvesting, logistics and, of course, selection, grading and packaging. In short, what we want to ensure is that each and every cherry that goes to the market has the highest standards of quality and flavour. In order to achieve this the time between when the fruit is harvested and it arrives on the table of the consumer has to be as short as possible, regardless of the distance to market.
Speaking of distant markets, do you think Spanish exporters will be able to capitalise on the tariffs imposed by China on US fruits and vegetables by?
PG: Although there is currently no import protocol between China and Spain we are sure that the agriculture ministry will seek to accelerate negotiations with the Chinese authorities so that cherries are the next product to be granted access to this market. A dossier has already been submitted with all the relevant documentation, as well as letters signed by the main fruit importers in China openly requesting that the protocol be speeded up.
What has been your experience in Asia so far?
PG: As a result of the network of contacts through the trade fairs and commercial missions we attend we have been one of the few Spanish companies that has successfully exported stonefruit to China – namely our well known Claudia Reina plums.
Even though we can’t ship cherries to mainland China yet we are able to export to Hong Kong. In order to be successful in this market you have to handle the fruit with the utmost care, from harvesting through cold treatment and shipping, so that it arrives in optimal condition. Unfortunately, European growers are not allowed to use certain products and treatments that are available in other production regions, and this means we have to rely on other innovative, but more expensive, solutions in order to guarantee good results. We hope that R&D will allow us to make further improvements in the coming years and set the benchmark in this market as we currently do in Europe.
