Forecasts point to 40% drop in cherry production in Terra Quente Transmontana | Agriculture

The Agricultural Cooperative of Alfândega da Fé, in the district of Bragança, came forward this Friday with a forecast drop that could vary between 30% and 40% in cherry production, due to the cold and rain experienced in the first months of the year . “These declines are being seen in early varieties that begin to be harvested in mid-May”, the president of this agricultural structure, Luís Jerónimo.

According to the agricultural director, the breaks were observed during the flowering of the trees in which the “reset” was restricted due to the cold and rain recorded in the first quarter of this year. “Due to adverse weather conditions, the flower ended up remaining on the tree itself, not giving way to the fruit”, he stressed.

Luís Jerónimo also added that, in mid-season and late-season cherry production, there will also be drops, but they cannot yet be quantified.

“For now, it is a little early to quantify these drops in cherry production in the later varieties in the territory of Alfândega da Fé, so that they can be quantified”, said the director. Breakages can reach several tons of cherry, at a time when production should reach 30 tons.

With these constraints, the harvest forecast will be 15 to 20 tons in cherry production in the cooperative space, indicated Luís Jerónimo. The director of the Cooperativa de Alfândega da Fé points to impacts on the cooperative’s income, justifying that expenses are the same and production is much lower.

“The costs are the same in terms of applying phytosanitary products, which are more expensive, because our production is carried out organically and we will not receive the due financial return to be able to overcome production costs”, he concluded.

The Alfândega da Fé Agricultural Cooperative has a production area of ​​30 hectares of cherry groves, organically. To the climate change They also concern cherry producers in Terra Quente Transmontana, particularly in the municipality of Alfândega da Fé, where the largest number of orchards of this fruit are concentrated, in the district of Bragança.