Afrucat anticipates that Catalonia’s (Spain) stone‑fruit campaign could end earlier than usual due to the advance observed in the ripening and harvesting of several varieties.
The entry into production of mid‑season varieties, with larger calibres, has balanced the size offer and the different commercial formats. This greater availability has helped stabilise the market and ease the downward pressure on prices seen at the beginning of the campaign.
The sector confirms that the production calendar remains ahead of previous seasons. In some varieties, the advance is around ten days compared with recent harvests and may reach twenty days compared with the traditional calendar. According to Afrucat, this evolution could lead to an earlier end to the summer campaign.
“This scenario could concentrate demand in the final stretch of the campaign and limit product availability. Strong commercial planning among all operators in the chain will be essential to guarantee service to clients,” said Jaume Lozano, president of Afrucat’s Comité de Pinyol.
The association also expects that this lower availability of fruit in the final phase of the campaign may translate into a price increase — a necessary development in a context where production costs continue to weigh heavily on the sector’s profitability.
