Picota cherry season kicks off with high-quality crop
European Picota cherry producers are forecasting a high-quality crop with good volumes for the upcoming season.
Despite a warm winter followed by a cold spring delaying the season slightly, growers have reported an abundant of fruit on trees, with excellent quality and full flavour. The first European Picota cherries arrived in the UK mid-June and according to the growers' association Agrupación de Cooperativas Valle Del Jerte, the season for the sweet, juicy and stalkless cherries is expected to run to the beginning of August.
"Flowering started in early April this year, and although it has already finished, you can still see cherry blossom in the highest areas of the valley at an altitude of 1,200 metres," commented the group's export manager Miguel Ángel Durán.
The UK is a leading market for European Picota cherries, and this year's growers are planning to promote the flavour and key points of difference of their fruit to the trade. That will include highlighting the traditional cultivation methods, care for the environment, and farming in harmony with the natural surroundings of the Jerte Valley.