Early start for Catalonia: good prices, but forecasts reveal less harvest for 2024

16 May 2024
319

In Catalonia, the cherry harvest season commenced a few days back in the earliest regions. Initially, there were expectations for an early start to harvesting, but this didn't materialize due to a sudden drop in temperatures. Recent rainfall did cause some damage to early varieties being gathered, albeit not significantly.

“Our cherry campaign officially launched on April 8th, introducing varieties cultivated under plastic. Subsequently, on April 28th, we initiated the marketing of our first open-ground cherries,” shared David Manero, a key figure at Cerima Cherries.

“Compared to the previous year, we initiated the process a few days earlier, with last year's harvest commencing on May 4th. While we could have begun earlier, given the unusually warm spring until a fortnight ago, the abrupt temperature decline altered our plans," he explained.

“Recent days brought between 12 to 15 liters per square meter of precipitation to our production zones, potentially impacting certain varieties like Mimba, already in harvest mode. However, we anticipate this won't drastically affect our supply volumes, ensuring seamless service to our clientele,” assured David Manero.

Anticipations suggest a diminished cherry yield this year, as per the insights from producers and traders. “This season, we foresee a decrease in early cherry production. Normalcy in harvest is projected by the second or third week of May, albeit at levels lower than the preceding season,” he added.

“The season kickstarted favorably in terms of market prices. Despite primarily harvesting in May and June, our diverse variety offerings align well with the current market dynamics in Europe," highlighted David Manero.

Attribution: FreshPlaza
Image Source: Cerima Cherries


Cherry Times - Reserved Rights

What to read next

Birds: what if they were also allies in integrated pest management strategies?

Crop protection

02 Feb 2024

Birds, a threat to crops or friends for integrated pest management strategies? At the 'Stone Fruit Day' organised by Washington State University, the focus was on the role of birds in agriculture, looking at pros and cons of the latest research on the subject.

The picture of the economic sustainability of fruit-growing sector

Tech management

25 Mar 2024

A recent study analyzed production costs and average margins of the main species in the Emilia-Romagna region. From the comparison it emerges that cherry trees confirm themselves as one of the few fruit species capable of achieving full economic sustainability.

In evidenza

UNITEC and innovation: technological solutions for cherry sorting

Post-harvest​

04 Oct 2024

UNITEC technologies provide a decisive solution for the industry. Advanced systems like Cherry Vision 3.0 and 3.5 AI have revolutionized the way cherries are selected and sorted thanks to the use of artificial intelligence.

Uzbekistan: growing exports, over 30,000 tonnes to 16 countries

Markets

04 Oct 2024

The Statistics Agency highlighted that Russia was the top buyer, importing 25.4 thousand tons of cherries. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan took in 3.5 thousand tons, and Kyrgyzstan secured 2.7 thousand tons.

Tag Popolari