According to data presented recently by Afrucat, the Fruit Business Association of Catalonia, and the DACC, the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, the Catalan production potential for peaches and nectarines will be reduced by about 70% and stand at 166,910 tons. This will be the second consecutive year in which weather incidents have seriously affected the Catalan production.

Lleida will harvest 70% less peaches and nectarines (149,570 tons); Tarragona, 68% less (12,050 tons); Barcelona, 59% less (2,500 tons); and Girona, 22% less (1,440 tons).

The frosts at the beginning of April ruined a large part of the production. This was the most severe frost in the last 40 years. Also in April (on the 20th and 23rd), 2 hail storms damaged some productive areas. The first one did not cause significant damage, but the second one affected about 500 hectares.

Harvest forecast for cherries, plums and apricots
The forecast says that the cherry and plum harvest will also drop drastically, with a 36% reduction in the cherry harvest, down to 5,287 tons, and a 47% drop in the plum harvest, down to 2,622 tons.

Moreover, the harvest is expected to be delayed by between 5 and 12 days throughout the entire territory.

As for apricots, last April, forecasts were already made public announcing a 67% loss in the Catalan production and a 85% drop in the Aragonese production, with harvest volumes estimated at 2,970 tons and 2,988 tons, respectively.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com