Hailstorms have led to a further reduction of the initial forecasts for Lleida's stone fruit harvest. The first part of the season is underway with good prices for almost all products due to the good demand and lower supply, both nationally and in other competing countries.
At the moment, we are still selling the early varieties, whose supply has been reduced by between 10 and 15% due to the impact of hailstorms," says Albert Carnicé, Sales Director of Copa Fresh, a stone and pome fruit grower and marketer based in the municipality of Mollerussa, in the province of Lleida. "For now, we have luckily not been hit by any hailstorms, but around 10 of them have already been reported in the province of Lleida and, as a result, a lot of fruit will have to be marketed as second class," he says.
Murcia's season has been marked by a lower apricot supply, which is why higher prices were recorded during the first weeks of Lleida's harvest. Now, according to Carincé, as more supply comes in, prices are regulating and they are already similar to those recorded at this time last year.
Mollerussa is a late-growing area in Lleida, so Copa Fresh will reach its peak production between July 10 and August 10. Nonetheless, yields are yet to be confirmed and could be considerably reduced.
According to the company's Sales Director, Turkey and Greece also report drops in the supply. "Greece is a big peach grower, and their production losses are having a clear impact this season. Last year, they had some issues, and peaches were in high demand, and we are starting to see that trend this season as well. Peaches have been cheaper than nectarines for years, but this trend is now reversing. The pressure on prices has led to a reduction of their cultivation in Lleida, while Greece has been putting pressure on the market for years. The years when Greek production fails, it is quite noticeable," he says.
Copa Fresh specializes in apple production and marketing, with stone fruit as a complement in the summer months. "Thanks to the momentum achieved with apple exports, we ship a lot of stone fruit in containers to markets in South and Central America, and, to a lesser extent, to countries in the Middle East such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, among others," says Carnicé. "It is a difficult job and you need a good selection of varieties and must keep the cold chain properly under control," says the Sales Director.
Therefore, unlike a few years ago, only a handful of operators are currently specializing in these markets. "Around eight years ago, Brazil was a big market for Lleida's stone fruit and was receiving three to four times more fruit than now. There has been a considerable devaluation of the Brazilian Real, so our fruit has become more expensive, and this has turned it into a more exclusive product. Also, shipping services are slower. In the past, it took between 12 and 13 days for the fruit to arrive; now we are talking about 20 days in transit. That is why we have gone from shipping between 60 and 70 containers a week to around 20," says Carnicé.
For more information:
Albert Carnicé
Copa Fresh
Tel.: +34 973603915
[email protected]
www.copafresh.com