Fake Picota cherries that have been upsetting producers of the genuine denomination of origin fruit in Spain are unlikely to find their way to the UK market.
Several consignments of cherries in Spain have been discovered in the marketplace being passed off as the distinctive stalk-less Picota when in fact they were lower quality cherries that had simply had the stalks removed manually.
One UK-based importer said: “With the level of media attention given to Picota cherries during a short season in June and July, I can understand that people might want to do this to pass their cherries off as Picota,” he said. “However, if you really know your cherries, this is something you’re pretty unlikely to do, as by pulling off the stalk, you can actually cause a wound to open up on the fruit. If this problem were ever to arise, it’s much more likely in Spain, where stalk-less cherries command more of a price premium compared to the UK.”
The problem in the growing region of Extremadura has been serious enough for the regional farm and environment minister to visit the Jerte valley where the fruit is produced and meet with growers to reassure them that his office is working with the sector to stamp out the practice.
Meanwhile, some 13,500 tonnes of cherries are expected from the valley this season which co-ops leader Angel Prieto said was much better than expected at the season’s outset. “Prices are also somewhat higher than during last season’s campaign,” he added. His organisation represents 3,500 growers in 16 co-ops.
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