Spain: Pear harvest expected to decline by 60% in Catalonia

The Unió de Pagesos warned that pear production will be reduced by 60% this campaign, due to the impact of drought and heat waves in the previous campaign, which affected the formation of flowers for the current harvest. It is estimated that farmers' losses amount to 8,255 euros per hectare, both due to the smaller harvest and the increase in production costs. Through a press release, the union asked for help for professional farmers for the pear surface declared in the DUN 2024 and to compensate for the economic losses suffered by the effect of climatic damage in 2023 on the 2024 harvest, and which has caused the lack of flower formation on pear trees. The Unió de Pagesos believes that the estimates of the Department of Agriculture of July 24 will be short and that the losses will exceed the 39% average of the last 5 years indicated by the Observatory of fresh fruit of Catalonia. The organization predicts that the real final losses will be closer to 60 than to the 40% estimated ...