A period of heavy rain in the key stonefruit growing region of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain is likely to result in a downturn in production.
This was the pessimistic forecast from the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Castilla-La Mancha (Ucaman), which told Agronoticias that rains totalling around 79-90 litres per square metre were “spoiling an important part of the harvest”.
So far some 4,300 tonnes of apricots have been collected this season of an estimated 9,500 tonne total crop. However, Ucaman said that the sensitive nature of the fruit meant that any adverse climactic conditions, such as the heavy rains, could prejudice the campaign.
Ucaman added that the rains had caused cracks in the fruit surface and greater numbers of apricots to fall from trees, incidences that in both cases meant the fruit’s commercial value was lost.
The union said the apricot growers’ situation had been exacerbated by the recent Spanish haulage strike, which meant that a smaller volume of the fruit could be exported.
