The main production region for the two stone-fruit lines is Catalonia which is forecast to harvest 145,900 tonnes of peaches and nectarines ahead of Andalusia on 120,000t and Rioja, Navarre and Aragon with 128,080t.

Catalonia Qualitat the producers' representative organisation in Lerida is predicting a normal start to the season and reports good quality fruit at this stage. 'The earliest part of Catalonia to come on stream is Tarragon,' said a spokeswoman. 'The peach harvest is all set to start there at the end of the month and cherry picking got underway two weeks ago. Although volumes are slightly down in this early region because of cool temperatures earlier in the spring, quality and sizes are good and the larger growing area of Lerida has been unaffected.'

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