The Spanish harvest of Apple will increase this year by 14% and that of Pera by 4%
Apple production in Spain will be 13.87% higher this year than last season, while Pera also increases, but in a more modest figure, + 4.33%. Frosts in the main production areas have been very localized and, in general, the fruit has had a correct evolution, with a good flowering.
According to the forecasts made by Cooperatives Agro-alimentary of Spain, the next harvest of Fruita de Pepita will be greater than last year, especially as regards the Apple, which with a production of 542,369 tons, will record an increase of + 13.87% with respect to the previous campaign and + 16.63% with respect to the average of the last years. Regarding the Pear, the expected production – 311,248 t.- will also increase but only by + 4.33% compared to last year and is still lower than the average of the last campaigns, -17.77%.
These data will be presented at the PROGNOSFRUIT sector fair, which this year will take place from August 7 to 9 in Alden-Biesen, Belgium.
Apple Forecasts
The national harvest estimate for Apple will be 542,369 tons. Except for some frosts in specific territories, the productions have had a correct evolution, with a good setting and flowering. Highlight the increase in production in Aragon -second producer nationwide-, which is recovering from the previous year and will collect 124,397 tons. The first producing region, Catalonia (mainly the province of Lleida), rises by + 11.13% and will reach almost 300,000 tons.
The president of the Working Group of Fruit of Pepita of Cooperatives Agro-alimentary of Spain, Albert Capdevila, emphasizes that it will be “a good campaign for the Apple, that has had a favorable flowering and the trees are very loaded, because the chemical thinnings they worked and had to perform the thinning by hand. Production will be higher, but the sizes will be smaller, ”he concludes.
By varieties, Golden group apples are still the majority, with harvest forecasts of 273,403 tons, more than half of the total. They are followed by far from the Gala group, which will reach 90,078 tons.
Pear Forecasts
With 311,248 tons nationwide, the production of Pear will be slightly higher than the previous season but without reaching the average of recent years. Most of the producing regions recover levels, where the Region of Murcia stands out -4th national producer- with an increase of 50% over the previous year, up to 25,925 tons, due to an optimal pollination that will be reflected in a good quality. On the contrary, the second production area of Pera in Spain, La Rioja, will register a fall of 3.82% to 53,590 tons, as a result of the extreme and very variable weather conditions of the last months.
In Aragon (third production area) there will be a significant fall in the harvest, according to estimates. With 42,501 tons, production will be 12.76% lower than last year because of slight problems in curdling but that have affected practically the entire region.
By varieties of Pear, the Conference represents around half of the total and its production will be 159,553 tons, + 1.91%; Ercolini-Coscia is the group that rises the most compared to last year, with an increase of + 35.13% and thus recovers the usual levels after a short harvest in 2018.
Albert Capdevila explains that it is a campaign with favorable climatic conditions for this crop, practically without frost, and unlike with the Apple, in Pera a good caliber of fruits will be achieved. “In recent weeks, the heat has” burned “the pieces a bit, showing a different color than usual, we do not know how it will affect the market,” he adds.
Regarding prices, Capdevila points out that, specifically for Apple, there are still fruits from the previous campaign in the chambers and they are coming to the market at low prices, which can influence the earliest varieties that are beginning to be picked. We will see if this influences the prices or not ”.
