Early fruit that was “showing color” to be harvested soon, and fields with trees in full bloom, may be compromised if they were exposed to these spring rains, says the president of Fedefruta, Jorge Valenzuela.
The union leader is also concerned about the soil in orchards that, after the storms in June and August, have not yet drained the water to be operational again this season, and that now have had these new rainfalls. “Here, it literally rains on wet ground,” says Valenzuela.
Just days before the cherry harvest began in the main production areas of this species, this new frontal system appeared, directly exposing, this time, the early fruit that was "taking color" on the trees, and orchards where the trees were in the process of flowering.
“Spring rains are very erratic, and although some areas could have avoided damage, many producers are facing challenges due to the rains,” said Jorge Valenzuela, president of the Federation of Fruit Producers of Chile (Fedefruta). “We are working in the orchards to avoid any problems in the next harvests.”
The recent rainfall, although less than in previous months, came at a critical period for fruit growing. This was because it hit fruit such as cherries hanging on the trees, taking color to be harvested in the coming days and weeks. Because of this, they "were exposed to damage and cracking," he said.
The other problem is the orchards that are now in full bloom. "This phase of flower growth is very delicate and the showers could mean complications in the volume of the harvest," he warned.
For this reason, the guild urges producers to implement all measures to minimize damage and ensure a good harvest season, doing "damage control" to prevent exposed fruit from "breaking," and to ensure that flowering trees do not have major complications during the season.
"It's raining on wet ground"
Jorge Valenzuela also points out that there is a lot of fruit-producing land that, after the frontal systems of June and August, has not yet drained all the water that fell in those months, and that naturally is not prepared to begin its respective productive tasks. "These are agricultural soils that have not recovered from the storms, so here, literally, it rains on wet ground," he says.
At this moment, Fedefruta is gathering information with its directors, advisors and regional associations to assess the situation of Chilean fruit growing and producers in the sector, on the eve of the harvests affected by storms and spring rains.
