A cold snap which struck many of the key stone-fruit production regions in Europe last week is estimated to have brought the crop in line with likely market demand reducing potential production volumes by about a quarter.

Frost struck the Rhône-Alps region and temperatures fell to –10°C on April 8. Damage is still being assessed on crops and blossoming apple and pear trees in the Loire Valley may also have suffered.

Daniel Gomez of producer organisation Roussillon Méditerranée reports that his region escaped virtually unscathed. But discussions with other key growing areas in France and elsewhere in Europe show a different picture. 'Overall we have lost about 20-25 per cent of European capacity on a very good year,' he said. 'This does not in any way jeopardise the ability of the stone fruit sector in Europe to meet demand. It means we won't see a shortage, but nor will we see oversupply this year.' He also reported that winter conditions have been largely ideal for stone-fruit production and quality is not expected to have suffered in his region. The season in the Roussillon area is expected to start as usual around May 25.

Production in Lerida in Spain has been unaffected, sources in the region confirmed, but in the Valencia region, the season is likely to start later than usual. Volumes are also likely to be reduced this year, Juan José Alepuz of producers' association Ava-Asaja reported. 'We didn't get the cold temperatures that affected others last week, but we have been having a lot of rain and will be starting later this year,' said Alepuz, '– in early May rather than around April 25 as usual – because of weather problems affecting fruit set in February.' Temperatures dropped below freezing and it even snowed in some areas on April 7-8. Snowfall was heavy in parts of northern Greece and most of the stone fruit crop in central and western Macedonia is reported to have been lost. The loss of volume will also have a major impact on the region's processing industry.

As the Journal went to press there were also unconfirmed reports of frost affecting Italian stone-fruit crops.