Association warns that rising input costs come at a difficult time for producers
The war in Iran is exacerbating cost pressures faced by Europe’s peach and nectarine sector and could result in double-digit price rises for consumers in the 2026 season, according to Catalan fruit association Afrucat.
Speaking at the presentation of Interprunus – next month’s international peach and nectarine forum organised by Afrucat with Medfel and the Occitanie Region – Afrucat president Manuel Simon commented: “We can expect an increase of between 10 and 15 per cent in the price of fruit in general, as a consequence of the 15 per cent increase in the price of materials, 6 per cent hike in cardboard costs, 35 per cent increase in transport, and an increase of 30-60 per cent in the cost of fertilisers”.
Afrucat’s president, Andreu Viladegut, said the cost increase comes at the worst possible time, as the first quarter of the year is when growers purchase the bulk of inputs such as herbicides and fertilisers. “Even if prices were to recover tomorrow, this investment has already been made and will directly impact the cost of the fruit,” he noted.
The price hikes are compounded by the impact on other factors such as water, especially in areas where irrigation depends on energy-powered pumping, which further increases production costs.
Afrucat said the conflict with Iran is already generating tensions in international logistics, with problems in maritime transit and increased container costs, a situation that could worsen with the arrival of the first stonefruit on supermarket shelves. It pointed out that the resulting cost increases will have consequences throughout the entire supply chain.
“Someone within the value chain has to absorb and pass on these costs. The primary sector cannot absorb them, because it is already under immense strain,” Simon warned.
The current geopolitical landscape will be one of the key themes of Interprunus, the international peach and nectarine forum that will be held on 21 May in Lleida. The event will bring together representatives from Spain, Italy, France, and Greece to present the European harvest forecast for the first time and analyse the market outlook for stonefruit.
Other topics that will be addressed at the event include the impact of the Mercosur agreement, phytosanitary measures, and the evolution of international trade, along with a review of the 2025 campaign and a look ahead to the outlook for 2026.
