In general, the Spanish plum harvest has been successful, despite a summer with a strong heat waves in high-altitude areas, such as on the farms adjacent to the Sierra de Alcarama (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve). "At an altitude of 800 meters, fruit growth can be varied and surprising," explains Raúl Sanz, director of Finca Señorío de Rioja.
"The heat waves have reduced the harvest of Reina Claudia plums to 100,000 kilos, but a Brix of 26 degrees has been reached, and the organoleptic properties are ideal. 40% of the production has sizes larger than 40 mm, 35% falls between 38 and 40 mm, 15% between 35 and 38 mm and only 10% have not reached 35 mm," says Raúl Sanz.
According to this grower and trader, France still has enough plums to sell during one or, at most, two weeks. "The already good prices in Spain could rise even more. In the case of the premium Reina Claudia plums, like ours, prices remain good and stable, and the fluctuations caused by market shortages don't affect us. We have enough stock to keep selling for another four weeks," says Raúl.
"Fuji apples with sizes exceeding 110 mm"
About a week ago, the harvest of the Royal Gala Venus apples started in high-altitude farms. "The fruit is maybe slightly smaller than in previous years; this is due to the heat this summer. We are currently harvesting apples with a size of 75 mm and a perfect color," says the director of Fincas Señorío de Rioja.
"In our area, with the Sierra de Alcarama nearby, the temperatures at night already amount to around 10-11 degrees Celsius. In a few days, the night temperature will stand at around 6-8 degrees Celsius. These climatic conditions will slow down the growth for some days, and the fruit will keep growing until it reaches better sizes," says Raúl Sanz.
"In 20 to 25 days, we'll be able to start harvesting the Golden variety, and then the Fuji will follow. The latter is always productive in high-altitude areas. This season, the Fuji has exceptional volumes. We already have sizes ranging between 80 and 90 mm and they will continue to grow larger. Thanks to the pruning and thinning work, we will be harvesting around 60 to 70 Fuji apples per tree, with sizes reaching up to 120 mm. The pruning of the top branches in July has brought more light and contact with the morning dew, which is good for the apples. And the taste remains the same, despite the larger sizes," said Raúl Sanz. "The Fuji is very popular in the Spanish and international markets thanks to its Brix value and hardness. Our harvest will be around 20 to 25% higher, in line with the general trend in Spain."
For more information: 
Finca Señorío de Rioja
Raúl Sanz Polígono La Dehesa
Fitero 31593 Navarre, Spain
T: +34941194269
[email protected]
www.fincasenorioderioja.com