Growers in Spain have said their stonefruit season will start with between one and three weeks delay on last season, depending on region.
In Murcia in south-eastern Spain, grower group Asaja Murcia is looking forward to a good campaign.
Secretary general Alfonso Gálvez Caravaca said: “The outlook for stonefruit in Murcia is very good despite the rain and frost over the past few months. Between them they will delay the start of production by about a week, but quality of peaches, apricots and plums in Murcia will be optimum this year.”
According to figures released by the agriculture office of the Murcia regional executive, production in 2009 reached 61,700 tonnes for apricots, 37,900t for plums and peach output totalled 266,800t.
Gálvez said: “It is vital we develop promotional activity to get stonefruit from Murcia known through PR efforts in our main overseas markets in northern and central Europe.”
Gálvez also said introducing greater discipline and order in supplies as well as encouraging a concentration of the offer at marketing level to reduce costs would be major priorities this season.
Meanwhile, in the Jerte valley, the regulatory council for denomination of origin cherries from the region has warned that the season is running three weeks late. Early varieties will not come on stream until the first week of May at the earliest and the renowned stalkless Picota cherry will not be harvested until early June.
The reason for the delay - which is reaching 25 days in some orchards - according to the president of the council José Fernández is”the cold not the water”, which has delayed blossom.
In some parts of Andalusia in southern Spain, excessive rainfall has not only affected production for this season, but also damaged some trees permanently, effectively drowning their roots. Nectarine and peach trees have been particularly hard hit. And plum volumes are expected to take a dip, given the late frosts which came during flowering in parts of Extremadura and Andalusia.
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