The Agricultural Union estimates that after harvesting an average of 32,000 tons of stone fruit in the last five campaigns, this year's harvest will only be a third of that and will contribute to a rise in prices.
The Farmers Association from Valencia (AVA-ASAJA) estimates that the drop in peach, nectarine, apricot and plum's productions will be of 30%, in comparison with the average of the last five campaigns (a bit more than 32,000 tons), saying that the impact was caused by the winter frosts which caused considerable damage in the extra-early varieties that were already starting to blossom.
The harvest reduction is also caused by the reduction, in these last years, of the surface dedicated to this cultivation, as a consequence of the low profitability. In just 5 years, the fruit's area in Valencia dropped 62%, going from 8,996 hectares to just 3,443.
Due to this smaller production, the association thinks that the harvest evolution allows to expect an extraordinary quality in the fruit to be commercialized.
Source: Expansion
Publication date: 4/28/2011
