Great expectations for apricot campaign

THIS year’s apricot campaign in Porreres has kicked off with better predictions than in 2022.

Apricots are the star product of the town and thousands of people visit the area every year just to buy the local produce.

With the first batches arriving at the local Farming Cooperative, producers believe this season will be better than last year with up to 11 tonnes of the fruit expected to be harvested, one tonne more than in 2022.

As well as quantity, the quality this year is expected to be higher, with sweeter fruit and a more standard size.

However, the amount is still far below that of 10 years ago, when up to 70 tonnes of apricots could be harvested in one season.

Spokespeople for the sector suggest that the main reason for the drastic drop is climate change, as the unstable weather conditions prevent farmers from making accurate previsions.

This is said to discourage young people from taking over the trade from their parents, meaning that as producers retire there is no one to fill their shoes.