Stonefruit producers in Murcia are calling for a five-year promotional campaign for their fruit as forecasts for peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums and apricots are announced.
Producers’ association Asaja Murcia says a promotional campaign for the region is vital. General secretary Alfonso Gálvez Caravaca said: “It is necessary that both regional and national government collaborate to put in place a campaign for Murica’s stonefruit in export markets as well as the national market. The aim is that consumers recognise the magnificent qualities of our products.”
Gálvez added that the campaign should be ambitious and last for at least five years “in order to allow consumers to familiarise themselves with the fruits our region produces”.
Overall, the stonefruit harvest is in line with usual start dates and will not be subject to the delays that dogged last season and fruit sizing and quality are both reported to be good. The early areas of Andalusia and Extremadura will begin production next month as the harvest is expected to start in Andalusia in the first week of May and in Extremadura around 15 May.
Meanwhile, national producer-exporter trade association Fepex, has announced that output in the region of donut or Saturn peaches is increasing at the expense of clingstone for processing. The same trend is also evident in Catalonia while in Andalusia and Extremadura, output of peaches and nectarines is declining slightly year on year.
