Now that the March rains have been left behind and there's more sunshine, it is becoming clearer and clearer how stone fruit trees in the Region of Murcia have been affected. "Fortunately, Best Fruit technicians have told us that our production estimates will still be met, although there will be a lack of apricots in the area due to pollination problems and the poor efficiency of bees on rainy and windy days," says Álvaro Guillamón Muñoz, from Best Fruit Sociedad Cooperativa.
"As far as other stone fruits and production levels are concerned, we are expecting a normal season, with no losses or damage to peaches, nectarines, or flat peaches."
© Best Fruit
"As far as cherries are concerned, it's still too early to know how the season will go. For now, we still need to wait before making a forecast. We have cherry production in the Villena area and, based on previous experience of previous years, we know that things can go wrong at any given moment because cherries are a very sensitive fruit," says Álvaro.
What the rain seems to have caused for all fruit species is a delay compared to the previous season. "Based on previous seasons, we had expected to start around April 16-17, but we believe that we'll have to start between 7 and 10 days later. This delay, caused by the lack of sunshine and the rain, will have a greater impact on the extra-early fruit but will affect all varieties to a greater or lesser extent."
© Best Fruit
"It's important to remember that delivering fruit that isn't fully ripe or that fails to meet certain quality standards is counterproductive for the whole sector. We have seen this happen with stone fruit but also with lemons," says Álvaro. "Clients and markets are putting pressure on us, asking for time estimates, and there is pressure to hit the market before others do. But in stone fruit in general, and extra-early fruit in particular, ripeness is one of the most appreciated aspects. For this reason, at Best Fruit, we will only deliver our fruit when it has reached the right Brix, and we can be sure to offer the best possible fruit to our European clients, even if that requires waiting several days longer."
© Best Fruit
© Best FruitFor more information:Best Fruit
Carretera de Abanilla-Orihuela (km 413), Km 1,5
30640 Abanilla, Murcia, Spain
Tel.: +34 968 409 694
info@bestfruit.es
https://bestfruit.es/