A new frontal system appeared just days after the start of the cherry harvests in the main productive areas. The early fruit that was on the trees 'developing its color' and the trees that were in the process of flowering were directly exposed to the rains.
"The spring rains are very erratic. They might not have caused damage in some areas, but many producers face challenges due to the rains," stated Jorge Valenzuela, the president of the Federation of Fruit Producers of Chile (Fedefruta). "We are working in the orchards to avoid any problems in the next harvests."
The recent rainfall, although lower than in previous months, came at a critical period for fruit growing. The rain hit fruit the fruit hanging on trees, like the cherries that are going to be harvested in the coming days and weeks. This fruit was exposed to damage and crackling, he said.
The other problem is the orchards that are now in full bloom. "This is a very delicate phase for the flowers and the rains could lead to complications in the volume of the crops," he said.
That's why the guild urges producers to implement all measures to minimize damage and guarantee a good harvest season, carrying out "damage control" by preventing the exposed fruit from "splitting" so that the trees in flowering do not have greater complications for the season.
"When it rains, it pours"
According to Valenzuela, a lot of the fruit-productive land hasn't been drained of all the water that fell in the months of June and August, so naturally it's not ready to start its respective productive work. "These agricultural soils have not recovered from the storms. I guess it's true that when it rains it pours," he added.
Fedefruta is currently gathering information with its directors, advisors, and regional associations to assess the situation of Chile's fruit-growing sector and producers in the area on the eve of the harvests affected by storms and spring rains.
Source: fedefruta.cl