The earliest projections of the EU’s 2014 peach/nectarine crop, including cling, released at the Europech conference during Medfel in Perpignan see a volume of about 3,850,000 tons. Compared to a year ago when the crop was below average, this estimate shows a 14% growth rate, although it is only 4% when compared to the 2009-2012 average. Fresh-market peach is expected to pick at 1.509 million tons, up 12% over 2013 and 7% over the 2009-2012 average. Nectarine is estimated at nearly 1.564 million tons, up 10% on the year and 6% over the 2009-2012 average.
Greece is expected to register the biggest increase, a result largely due to the very poor harvest in 2013. France should pick a combined cop of 265 thousand tons, up 15% on the year but still well below the 2009-2012 average. Spain is expected to harvest a crop of 1.342 million tons, up 13% over 2013. It’s a figure that would include all growing districts and make it the highest volume recorded in the last few years. In Italy the combined peach and nectarine crop is expected to pick at about 1.505 million tons, a volume comparable to last year’s.
«The projections released at the conference – said Elisa Macchi, the Director of Cso who reported the data for Italy – are the earliest estimates for the 2014 crop. There will be an update in June that will give us a more precise picture of the real situation. However things actually work out, this year’s crop should be of good quality as weather patterns have returned to normal, and we should have a longer marketing season than in 2013».
