Spanish stonefruit associations, under the auspices of Spain’s Fresh Produce Exporters’ Association (Fepex), held an emergency meeting in Madrid yesterday, Thursday, to discuss ways in which to offset the impact of this month’s significant fall in prices.
Prices on fresh and processed markets both overseas and nationally have fallen well below the cost of production, according to Fepex, due to stiff competition from Italy and the saturation of the domestic market.
The situation has resulted in a crisis within the Spanish stonefruit sector, particularly in the production regions of Extremadura, Murcia, Cataluña and Aragón.
At the meeting, Fepex’s stonefruit committee agreed to draw up a set of proposed financial, fiscal and social measures and a market management strategy designed to improve the situation.
The proposal will be presented to the Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine affairs as well as to the Agriculture Departments of the production regions’ Autonomous Communities.
June to August are the peak months for Spanish peach and nectarine exports, when shipments usually reach in excess of 100,000 tonnes.
Last year, Spain exported some €746m-worth of stonefruit, according to Fepex, including €566m-worth of peaches and nectarines.
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