The season for DO Spanish persimmon has begun, with growers predicting a further increase on last year’s record sales of the fruit in the UK market.
The fruit is now listed in three of the big four, appearing in Sainsbury’s for the first time this season.
Rafael Perucho, head of the regulatory council Kaki de la Ribera del Xúquer Plaça, which controls the DO certification, said: “We had record sales of persimmon in the UK market last year, thanks to a combination of new listings, which are an important gain, and a strong promotional campaign.”
Perucho said: “We are expecting a similar sized harvest to last year, of approximately 32,000-35,000 tonnes, which means we should have our best season to date in the UK market.”
But local grower groups reported last week that some 150 hectares of production have been affected by a fungus causing the fruit to fall to the ground. Some 3,400t of persimmon have so far been lost.
President of regional growers’ association Ava-Asaja, Cristóbal Aguado, said: “Producers are undergoing enormous uncertainty as we are all in the dark about what is happening. Keeping growers in this situation is a sign of inefficiency, incompetence and not assuming responsibility.”
But production issues aside, it is full steam ahead for persimmon promotions in the UK. This year, activity will include tastings, in-store, radio, and customer information and recipe leaflets.
“The UK is a priority market for us, because of both its proximity and importance,” said Perucho. “Persimmon is a relatively unknown fruit here so our main challenge is to get shoppers to know and enjoy the fruit while it is in season. Being included in the Foods from Spain promotional campaign is essential to the marketing effort for this up-and-coming fruit.”
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