Dry winter can affect kiwi production in Felgueiras, Portugal, in summer

Published Jan 21, 2022

Tridge summary

The Cooperativa de Felgueiras, a major kiwi exporter in Portugal, is expressing concerns over the potential impact of ongoing drought on the kiwi production later in the year. Humberto Reis, a technician at the cooperative, emphasized the importance of adequate soil moisture from May to September for a good kiwi harvest. He also pointed out that the lack of cold in December, essential for floral differentiation, could negatively affect the fruit quality and quantity. Despite these concerns, Reis remains hopeful that with improved irrigation systems, production losses due to drought can be minimized, provided the drought does not reach a severely harsh level. For the vine and asparagus crops, which require less water, the situation is less critical.

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Original content

Source: expressofelgueiras.com The Cooperativa de Felgueiras, one of the biggest kiwi exporters in Portugal, fears that if the drought continues, it will have consequences in the summer and make it difficult to produce the fruit, a technician at the institution said today. “At this time it is not a concern, because the plant is in vegetative rest, but if there is no replacement of the aquifers, there will be problems in the summer period”, explained Humberto Reis to Lusa. For that specialist, it is essential for a good harvest that “there is a lot of water in the soil from May to September”, hence, he insisted, the importance of raining a lot before this phase, that is, until April. With drier soils, there will be a need for more irrigation and this will result in increased costs for producers, he later recalled. The kiwi crop, which has the largest area in the country in Felgueiras, with around 300 hectares and 140 producers, needs a lot of humidity, which is why, he continued, ...

Source: Confagri