"Entering the right harvest window can mean up to 0.15 euros more per kilo of fruit"

In October, the fruit sector once again marks a key date on the calendar: Fruit Attraction. The event has become the industry's showcase for trends, innovations, and networking. However, Viveros Mariano Soria emphasizes that "profit margins, which are increasingly narrow, are not defined at a trade fair, but in the consistency between the orchard and the varietal strategy."

According to the nursery, profitability is determined by factors such as market windows, chilling hours, flowering, harvest scheduling, rootstocks, pollinators, and logistics. "That is where a professional nursery makes the difference," they explain.

For growers, the nursery underlines three key decisions. The first is the harvest window. "Arriving seven to ten days earlier or later can completely change the average price of the campaign. If you bring fruit to market when supply is short, you improve prices and ease labor pressure. And if your strategy is based on volume, working with rustic, productive genetics can ensure a more solid commercialization."

The second is agroclimatic fit. Chilling requirements, frost risk, soil type, and water availability can all seriously affect production. "A poorly chosen rootstock or a variety outside its range not only reduces yield but also delays full production, or may even prevent the tree from producing at all," they warn.

The third factor is varietal architecture. Intelligent mixes allow growers to capture market gaps and stabilize revenues. "Working with a consistent early variety, a mid-season variety for volume, and a late variety with differentiation offers a cushion against market swings," they add.

Some quick calculations illustrate the point. A price increase of €0.15/kg by entering the right market window, multiplied by 30,000 kg/ha, results in an extra €4,500/ha—or more than €45,000 across 10 hectares. In a peach orchard planted at 5×3 m (about 666 trees/ha), a 2% failure rate equals 13 trees per hectare. "Replacing plants is cheap; losing two harvests due to insufficient chilling hours is not. Mistakes are both easy and expensive," they caution.

The nursery offers comprehensive support that includes varietal diagnosis by plot, taking into account chilling hours, frost, soil, water, and labor, along with tailored flowering and harvest calendars with pollinator compatibilities, varietal mix proposals aligned with objectives, and technical support from planting onwards.

Depending on the grower's goals, the nursery proposes different strategies: early-impact varieties such as Royal Tioga cherry, Borsalino apricot, or Zodiac flat peach in suitable areas; late-differentiated varieties such as Flavor Fall plum, Sweet Ivan peach, or Cokly Cot apricot; rustic and productive varieties like Sweet Dream, Lady Cot, or Atanais nectarine to sustain volume; or varieties with specific resistances for high-pressure environments, such as Cokly Cot against sharka or cracking-tolerant cherries like Royal Apache.

"In the end, the success of a campaign depends on the varietal strategy and how it fits each plot. Our job is to support growers in making decisions that reduce risks and maximize profitability," the nursery stresses.

Ahead of the fair, Viveros Mariano Soria encourages interested parties to schedule a meeting. "We invite growers to review their harvest calendar with us and identify market gaps based on their area, or simply to talk about fruit trees or almonds and enjoy Fruit Attraction. These conversations often shape the direction of a campaign."

For more information:
Viveros Mariano Soria
Ctra. A-220 La Almunia- Cariñena km 4,800 (Agramonte road detour)
50100 La Almunia de Doña Godina (Zaragoza)
Tel.: +34 976 60 01 67
[email protected]
www.viverosmarianosoria.com