Heatwaves have taken their toll on fruit sizing, but Staay remains positive as harvesting gets underway
Excessive heat and lack of rainfall in Europe over the past few months has had a negative impact on apple and pear production in the Netherlands and Belgium, particularly when it comes to the availability of larger fruit sizes.
But according to one leading marketer there is still scope for a successful season as harvesting gets into full swing.
Staay Food Group, which is based in South Holland in the western part of the Netherlands and specialises in pears, said it expected supply to be stable throughout the season, thanks in part to its own production and to long-standing partnerships with growers across the Benelux.
It also noted that harvests in the central Netherlands would provide some larger fruit. “So far, the average size is slightly smaller than last year. On the other hand, the flavour development is excellent,” it said.
According to the company, weather conditions have had a significant impact on production. “Growth was going well, but starting in June, large parts of the Netherlands and Belgium experienced a significant precipitation deficit,” it noted.
“Combined with the persistent heat, this affected fruit size and the final harvest forecast. Farms with limited access to water were sometimes severely affected by the drought. Fruit growers with sufficient irrigation capabilities were largely able to maintain fruit size.”
The difference is evident in early harvests, marketing manager Mark Loojenga observed. “Although the first harvests of the new topfruit season show smaller fruit sizes, our colleagues expect a good proportion of larger sizes from the central Netherlands in the coming weeks, thanks to the good availability of irrigation water and rainfall during the final weeks of growth,” he said.
Meanwhile, the abundant sunshine has apparently also had a positive effect on the fruit’s development.
“The pears generally have high sugar content and are developing an attractive appearance,” the company said. “Although some skin damage is visible in various growing regions as a result of hailstorms shortly after flowering, many growers rate the overall quality of the fruit as good to very good.”
