Lower prices hit profitability, but campaign was nevertheless “quite acceptable” according to Fecoam
The 2026 stonefruit campaign in the Region of Murcia has been characterised as generally positive by the sector manager of the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Murcia (Fecoam).
Giving his initial analysis of the recently concluded season to La Verdad, Pascual Hortelano noted that the season had been “quite acceptable”, even though prices were lower than in 2025 and producers facing significant day-to-day challenges. He noted that despite exceptional yields and quality, the results had not matched last year’s, with profitability down 20-30 per cent on 2025.
With the exception of extra-early varieties, overall volume was in line with initial forecasts. Apricots were the exception, suffering volume losses due to fruit-set issues and very low prices in the industrial processing sector. Further, a hailstorm in May destroyed 15-20,000 tonnes of produce, directly impacting specific cooperatives and growers.
According to Fecoam, water remains a key concern for the sector in spite of the abundant rainfall seen during the autumn and spring. “having sufficient water resources is essential to continue production,” Hortelano said.
