The start of the stone fruit season is around the corner in the Mediterranean. Spain continues to increase its stone fruit volumes and thus dominates the market in Europe. A good harvest is also expected in Greece, with rising export volumes to Europe and the Middle East. In Italy, the season has been more dramatic for apricots and nectarines due to heavy rainfall in recent weeks, which has caused a lot of the harvest to be lost. In South Africa, the dry weather has been the reason for a smaller production. In South America, Chile can look back on a successful year, with a 20% growth in nectarine exports to China. 

The Netherlands: Lower demand due to the weather

On the Dutch market, peaches and nectarines come mainly from Spain, a country that is currently dealing with a large production. Yet, consumption in the Netherlands is not yet really at the desired level. This is mainly due to the colder weather, which means there is less appetite for nectarines, peaches and apricots than usual. Nevertheless, traders expect this situation to improve in the coming weeks.

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