W10: Weekly Stone Fruit Update

Nectarine

Chile

Price of Chilean Nectarines Increases From W8 to W11 Due to High Demand

The price of Chilean nectarines has increased for sizes 36-40 pieces from USD 29.13-30.59/9kg (RMB 200-210/9kg) on W8 to USD 39.33-40.79/9kg (RMB 270-280/9kg) on W11 in the Chinese market. Also, the price for sizes 44-52 pieces has increased from USD 26.22-27.68/9kg (RMB 180-190/9kg) to USD 36.42-37.87/9kg (RMB 250-260/9kg). The demand for nectarines is high and even if there is a high supply of nectarines arriving on the wholesale market, most containers may already be sold out when the store opens for business.

Spain

Frost in Extremadura Region in Spain Expected to Cause Up to 10% Loss in Early Nectarine Production

March 2023 in Spain started with frosts that lasted 8-10 days in Badajoz, Extremadura. This has affected the first flowering of some early nectarine varieties such as ER-13. As a result, a loss of 5-10% is estimated for the production of this variety of nectarine in 2023.

Peach

Spain

Will Frost Decimate Crops and Endangered Stone Fruit in Spain

In recent days, several Spanish regions that produce fruits and vegetables have experienced nighttime lows below freezing. Frost damage to stone fruit was reported in Badajoz, where some areas experienced temperatures as low as -5°C, and to a lesser extent in Zaragoza. In early nectarine and peach production regions in Badajoz, temperatures dropped between -4 and -5°C, harming the flowers. Our earliest varieties of peaches and nectarines flower 15 to 20 days later than usual.

Plum

Chile

Chile Breaks a New Plum Export Record and Uzbekistan Ranks Fourth in the World

Chile surpassed its own 2019 world record for exports of fresh plums in 2022. In 2022, Chilean fruit exporters supplied 158K MT of fresh plums worth USD 235M to foreign markets. Exports increased by a third in volume over the previous year and by 3K MT surpassing the 2019 record. Chile thus maintained its dominance in the export of fresh plums. After Chile, South Africa and Spain continued to trail the leader by almost 60K MT. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan finished in fourth place in 2022 after experiencing a significant increase in this global ranking. Uzbekistan exported a record 48,400MT of fresh plums during the season.

Ukraine

Ukraine May Again Export Apple and Plum Planting Material to the EU

Only after EFSA conducted a phytosanitary risk analysis regarding the quarantine of harmful organisms in apples and plums it was possible to resume exports of planting material to EU countries, which had been temporarily banned as of December 2019. On the basis of the technical file supplied by Ukraine, EFSA conducts the phytosanitary risk analysis to determine whether these plants are ready for export.

Vietnam

Out of Season Plums Cost USD 10.60/KG in Vietnam

In W10, Grade 1 plums cost USD 10.60/kg in Ho Chi Minh City, the same as imported Chilean plums and up more than 10% YoY. Early in February, the price per kilogramme of type 1 (16–18 fruits) was USD 12.72/kg while in W10 it is USD 10.60. The cost of grade 1 plums in Hanoi is currently between USD 7.63-8.48/kg, or several dollars cheaper than in Ho Chi Minh City because there is no cost to transport by air.

Apricot

Russia

Dagestan Is the Leader in Russia in the Production of Stone Fruits and Does Not Stop There

Increased "golden apricot" production will be possible in Dagestan due to intensive horticulture. On March 7, Sharip Sharipov, the Republic of Dagestan's First Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food, paid a visit to observe the growth of horticulture in the Khasavyurt District. The Republic of Dagestan's Ministry of Agriculture and Food intends to keep developing ideas for raising seedling production of traditional Dagestani crops like apricot, cherry, and plum.

Moldova

Abnormally Early Flowering of Apricot in Moldova Is a Big Risk

Moldova has experienced unusually warm weather for March since the start of this week. The maximum daytime temperature in the south of the country is around +15–17 degrees Celsius, which is 10–12 degrees higher than the average climatic norm. In W11, the daytime atmospheric temperature is in the south of Moldova. Given this possibility, if the forecast is accurate and there are no frosts, an abnormally early apricot flowering won't be a problem.

Cherry

Peru

Peru Hoping to Enter Cherry Business

Peru has made it known that it plans to enter the cherry market, with trial production starting in 2024. Nowadays, leafless trees, stems and buds from Chile, trees from the United States, and seeds from France are among the cherry propagation supplies. Negotiations are also taking place in order to import hybrid tree kinds from the United States, according to SENASA.