The Northern Hemisphere is slowly moving towards autumn. This means the end of the stone fruit seasons. The hot, sunny weather experienced in the summer months have had consequences for the market. Yet, traders in most countries are satisfied with the results. Let’s have a global overview over stone fruit market.
Italy reports higher prices
The last peaches and nectarines from Sicily and a few other northern regions are coming onto the market in this country. The limited supply is, however, enough to meet demand. Prices are stable, except for fruits from Ravenna and Forlì – from Emilia – Romagna area. Here, prices are rising due to an increase in demand.
In August, the price for yellow peaches noted an average price of € 1,23/kg. In 2017, this was € 1,06/kg in the same month.
Spain has smaller profits
The Spanish season will soon end with considerably lower volumes than last year. The reason for this is the dismal flowering season as well as regular rain and hail. However, the decrease can mainly be seen in the fields. Not so much in the trade sector, declares one trader. These lower volumes mean that fewer stone fruits will be exported.
France has a good harvest
In France, the season is also coming to an end. A trader says, “It was quite a year. Hail storms destroyed a large part of the crops. This was followed by hot weather conditions. This meant the fruit did not ripen nicely. The harvest was disappointing.” Yet, the trader is not calling it a bad year. “The limited amounts pushed prices up and we definitely served our clients well with a large variety of different stone fruits.”
Germany: lower quality at the end of the season
The Southern European peach and nectarine season is currently slowly winding down. However, Spain is still dominating the market. The supply to the German market is rounded off by Italy, France, Greece, and Turkey. Demand is decreasing in tandem with the supply. The quality of the last batches of the season leaves a lot to be desired, report traders. This lack of quality has, however, not yet had any significant effect on prices.
The Netherlands: a limited supply
In the Netherlands, the demand for Spanish stone fruit is decreasing. This means the season traditionally moves to other products. Importers are calling it a good season. In other years, the price of 4 kg packed peaches and nectarines often dropped to the € 1,50 – 2,50 level. This year, it never went under € 3,50.
South Africa: problems persistent cold
Farmers in the Western Cape are expecting a good stone fruit season. This, only after a cold and wet winter that hit late and is still continuing. The region experienced snowfall earlier last week. There has also been sporadic rain. Growers are hoping for sunny weather so that the trees that are already flowering can continue to have a good flowering season.
For more information: STONE FRUIT MARKET