Sales of Murcian summer fruit are proceeding at a brisk pace, with strong demand across Europe, according to producer association Asaja-Murcia.
“The market is very fluid due to the hot weather we have seen in recent weeks and also because of the excellent quality of this season’s crop,” said secretary general Alfonso Gálvez. “In spite of the ongoing Russian veto, companies have managed to find alternative markets such as Canada, the UAE and Asia.”
Gálvez noted that in spite of the positive campaign so far the sector still faced a number of challenges, such as how to consolidate supply and better promote the region’s fruit on international markets.
“We believe the creation of an indigenous brand for Murcian fruit would help to differentiate our offer and allow us to intensify our marketing efforts at home and abroad,” he said.
Meanwhile, Catalan association Afrucat said it expected stonefruit prices to recover following a decision to withdraw 20,000 tonnes from the market on 7 July. The fruit will be used for juicing and then donated charitably. Manel Simon explained that the withdrawal was being paid for by the companies themselves and comes on top of a possible additional withdrawal of up to 38,400 tonnes on 1 August financed by the European Union.
“These measures should ensure that fruit is not sold for less than €0.65 per kg,” he said.
Simon pointed out that growers were in a much stronger position this season compared to last year thanks to the high temperatures, low stocks and the fact that there had been no overlap in harvesting between the different production zones.
“This year, thanks to foresight and careful planning, the extraordinary measures passed by the European Commission will arrive in time and will not be subject to previous limitations,” Afrucat said.
