Italian research and marketing agency Centro Servizi Ortofrutticoli (CSO) has published revised figures for the country's 2011 stonefruit forecast.
According to the figures, this season’s Italian peach production is estimated at around 700,000 tonnes this year, in line with last year’s 698,705 tonnes.
In contrast, the country’s nectarine production will be notably larger at a forecast 782,000 tonnes, an increase on the 776,925 tonnes produced in 2010.
With some 87,300 tonnes of early varieties anticipated this time around, there is likely to be a fall of 10 per cent in the volume of peaches coming online in the first portion of the campaign, even though overall Italian peach and nectarine volumes are stable at around 1.6m tonnes.
In the north, forecasts suggest a 3 per cent increase in peaches for the fresh market, an increase of 3 per cent in early peach volumes and a 1 per cent fall in nectarine output, compared with 2010.
Emilia-Romagna, the country’s largest stonefruit supplier, will most likely see a 3 per cent upturn in its peach production this year, but a similar-sized decrease in nectarine volumes.
Italy continues to lead the way in Europe when it comes to apricot production, meanwhile, but in 2011 its production is set to fall dramatically by 22 per cent compared with last season to 189,000 tonnes.
The decrease is most evident in the south of the country, where cso reports a 28 per cent year-on-year downturn mainly due to damage caused by recent cold weather.
In Emilia-Romagna, the drop will be less pronounced but, at 15 per cent, no less significant.
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