Spanish stone fruit producers adjust their productive potential to the market demands

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain published a study on the productive reality of the stone fruit sector in 2020, which reveals how peach, apricot, and nectarine producers have adjusted their productive potential to the market demands.

According to the study, the areas planted with cherry in the last year increased by 9 %, reaching 23.006 hectares. The cultivated areas of flat peach increased by 7 %, totaling 10.200 hectares, and of flat nectarine increased by 15 %, still a minority crop with about 500 hectares, but with a good growth trend and increasing demand.

In addition, the study shows a decrease in the total cultivated area of ​​fruits whose commercialization has experienced greater decreases in recent seasons, however with interesting trends.

Apricot. The total area decreased by 1 % due to the disappearance of the cultivated areas of the yellow varieties, while the areas distended to orange varieties increased and formed 58 % of the total area.

Peach. The areas destined to early peaches have reduced, due to the new plantations that are directed towards late and mid-season varieties of yellow peaches. Thus, yellow peaches already account for 45 % of the total planted area, with an increase of 5 % in the last year.

Nectarine. The study shows a change in favor of the early and late yellow varieties, with the mid-season varieties decreasing by 16 % in one year.

Plum production decreases its acreage by 12 % in one year after years of growth at an average interannual rate of 7 % in the last 5 years.

The 2021 stone fruit campaign begins with positive projections in the first week of May with the first batches in Murcia and Andalusia.

The previous year, high demand led to significant increases in consumption.

Household consumption of stone fruit has not grown, despite increased demand, due to a reduction in supply (16 % less than the average). As explained by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, this is mainly due to the decrease in surface and the incidence of extreme weather events in spring and summer.

Exports. Despite a lower volume, the value of stone fruit exports showed a "record" figure, reaching 1.164 million euros.

source: mapa.gob.es, sevilla.abc.es

photo: elcomercioagrario.com