Precipitation and mild temperatures benefit Portugal chestnut production

According to the Monthly Bulletin of Agriculture and Fisheries for the month of October of the National Statistics Institute (INE), Portugal's chestnut trees in the orchards have a large number of burrs, of regular dimensions.

Damage caused by the main pest that affects this crop, the chestnut wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu) continues to occur, and occasionally some scattered loss of production has been observed in some areas of Trás-os-Montes due to intense hail fall in July and August.

Nevertheless Chestnut production increased 5% when compared to the previous campaign, with a unit yield of 0.97 MT/ha - the best of the last decade.