There are very good prospects for the Claudia Reina plum campaign in the Spanish region of La Rioja. "If we get no storms and the weather conditions remain stable, we could have a very good production this year," says Ángel Aldama, manager of Frutas Aldama. "Even though we have 70% of the fruit of a normal season, since the trees are not as loaded, the calibers will be larger, so the shortage of kilos will be less noticeable."
The Claudia Reina is a well-established variety in La Rioja. "The town where we are, Quel, is eminently plum-growing. It is a fruit that is traditionally grown here, in the Cidacos Valley, although just as in other plum producing areas, such as Badajoz, Aragon or Toledo, the crop is gradually losing ground. Nevertheless, there's a reason why our variety is called Reina (Queen)."
"The Claudia Reina variety has an unmistakable flavour, totally different to that of other plums, and it is also extremely sweet when it reaches its optimum degree of ripeness. We at Frutas Aldama, for example, only sell plums with 20–21 degrees Brix or above," says Ángel.
"The Claudia Reina variety is mostly consumed on the Cantabrian coast and in general in the northern half of Spain, although it is marketed in all regions, and it is highly appreciated. It is also consumed in France and, in fact, we export it to the French market; however, as with any other fruit, the French prioritize their own production when their season begins."
"However, this year, in which Extremadura, the largest plum producer in Spain, is going to have a much smaller production than in other years, and France is only going to have 60-70% of its normal production, we expect the season for the Claudia Reina plum from La Rioja to be very good," says Ángel.
For more information:
Frutas Aldama
Polígono Moreta s/n
26570 Quel, La Rioja. Spain
Tel.: +34 941 39 23 78
[email protected]
www.frutasaldama.es