The Californian stonefruit season is shaping up well, according to the latest reports.
The California Tree Fruit Agreement (CFTA) has said cool weather, rains and hail in the spring have not affected fruit, although some of the earlier varieties have been delayed by up to two weeks and the later varieties may be running up to three weeks behind.
CFTA president Blair Richardson, said: “Fruit is on the small side, but that is normal for the early part of the season. Sizes will soon pick up and the overall quality looks extremely good.
“As long as we achieve our aim of producing consistent quality throughout the next few months, we should finish the season with good later volumes, when we have a big advantage over many of our rivals in the market.”
Californian stonefruit has still only got a limited presence in the UK but the CTFA is confident that interest will pick up if the quality of the fruit remains as strong as this year.
