The volume of stone fruit has returned to normal in most of the European producing regions, after the important drop in 2018.
As a whole, Spanish production will have a peach and nectarine harvest of 1,604,380 tonnes, that is to say, around 130,000 tonnes more than in 2018. A harvest that is 9% higher than the previous campaign, affected by diverse weather conditions that reduced the offer available, but without reaching the volumes from the 2017 campaign, which was marked by serious market problems.
Out of the total, 331,762 tonnes correspond to peaches; 635,141 tonnes to nectarines; 331,776 tonnes to flat peaches and 305,701 tonnes to clingstone peaches. These figures are a long way from those of 2017 (-6%; 100,000 tonnes less). In comparison with 2018, nectarines (+15%) and flat peaches (+12%) have increased most, and peaches slightly less (+6%), while clingstone peach production remains stable.
Catalonia has increased by almost 30% in flat peach and nectarine
By autonomous regions, the increase in production in Catalonia stands out, with an estimated 521,000 tonnes reaching the market, particularly in its offer of flat peaches (142,590 tonnes) and nectarines (232,000 tonnes), with some interannual increases of around 30%, as well as for peaches with 122,740 tonnes (+18%). These relative increases are explained because the reference harvest of 2018 was abnormally low.
Aragon: 504,494 tonnes
For 2019, the next producing region, Aragon, has estimated a production that is more similar to the one recorded in 2018, rising to 504,494 tonnes overall. The flat peach and clingstone peach production should remain in figures that are similar to the previous year’s, respectively making a total of 79,459 tonnes and 153,115 tonnes, while peaches should increase with 87,067 tonnes, +9% and nectarines with 184,853 tonnes, representing 7% more with respect to 2018.
Murcia reduces its yellow peach harvest
Murcia, the main producing region of early fruit, should reach a production like the one in 2018 in 2019, with a total of 268,000 tonnes.
The flat peach production should be maintained at 89,000 tonnes, while both the peach (reaching 42,000 tonnes) and nectarine (77,000 tonnes) production should increase by 10%. These increases should compensate the drop in the yellow peach harvest in Murcia (60,000 tonnes, 17% less than in 2018).
Drop in Extremadura
Extremadura is the only region where the production could drop in 2019, with 108,569 tonnes. This behaviour could be on the rise for flat peaches and clingstone peaches, with increases of 41%, respectively reaching 12,354 tonnes and 5,415 tonnes, while their main productions could drop to 34,178 tonnes of peaches (-30%) and 56,622 tonnes of nectarines.
Andalusia rises by 5%
In 2019, Andalusia will offer a slightly higher volume, 5% more than last year, with 101,415 tonnes, of which 65,466 tonnes will be nectarines and the remaining third will be peaches.
The Valencia region is recovering
The autonomous region of Valencia should recover its production both of peaches, with 8,000 tonnes, and of nectarines, with 13,000 tonnes, while the flat peach harvest will maintain levels similar to those of the past two years, with 6,500 tonnes.
France and Italy
France forecasts a peach and nectarine production of 210,219 tonnes, which means 17% more than the volume recorded for 2018 (also reduced due to frost), but 3% less than the average harvest over the last five years. This figure confirms the stabilisation of our neighbouring country’s productive surface area.
Italy is also recovering from the 2018 drop in production. Therefore, production in southern regions should increase by around 20%, while in the north, the peach and nectarine production will be more similar to the 2018 harvest, with 5% increases. Globally, Italy will produce slightly over 550,000 tonnes of peaches and 650,000 tonnes of nectarines, which means overall increases of around 15% in comparison to 2018, but the total figure of 1,300,000 tonnes remains 5% below the Italian 2017 offer.
