Hail and rains which reportedly destroyed 70 per cent of fruit production in two areas of Italy’s fruit-producing heartland Emilia-Romagna in late June have led to the fresh produce marketing agency CSO revising its production forecasts for this year’s stonefruit season, which is due to get into full swing during July.
According to CSO officials, the overall volume of peaches and nectarines available to European consumers will be lower as a result, hampered by similar but smaller damage to production in Greece.
“The downturn in supply is likely to cut product supply of the most popular summer fruits not only on the internal market but also for exports,” said a spokesperson for the organisation.
Normally European peach and nectarine production is around 3.9m tonnes, but according to the agency this year’s total is now likely to fall below 3.5m tonnes – an 8 per cent decrease on the previous campaign, with a 5 per cent fall in Spain, 7 per cent falls in Italy and France, and a 15 per cent drop in Greece.
“The lower supply will have a negative impact on producers who, in certain areas hit by the strong hailstorms, have seen more than half of their crop destroyed,” said the CSO spokesperson.
“In this situation, it’s very important that there is strong demand so the whole sector doesn’t slip into recession. The European market is able to absorb the available quantity of fruit without problem for the entire marketing campaign.”
The spokesperson added: “It is necessary however that the retailers avoid working too aggressively and avoid in particular selling below cost, which can have a heavy impact on the production system. Growers and consumers must work together to save the European fruit producers from extinction.”
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