Some growers have experienced damage of up to 75 per cent of their crops. The main lines affected are apricots, plums, peaches and nectarines across the whole spectrum of varieties, although extra-early types are the hardest hit followed by early varieties and mid-season fruit. Table grape crops have also sustained damage.
The details have been released by Spanish exporters’ association Fepex, which said that the losses are so severe because of the timing of the winds. Most of the losses are due to fruit falling to the ground in the early stages of fruit development just prior to or just after thinning. And some of the fruit that did not fall through the worst of the storms was then damaged by branches and leaves moving in the winds.
Murcia is one of Spain’s largest stonefruit-growing areas and last season exported 41,789 tonnes of peaches and 38,805t of nectarines.
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