Agriculture Fruit association predicts "pleasing" plum year

The 2024 plum harvest is expected to be "excellent". The Swiss Fruit Association expects a production of around 3700 tons. This means that the expected harvest is a good quarter above the five-year average.

Over 500 tons of Swiss plums will be harvested every week until 9 September, the association announced on Wednesday. The harvest already started in July. The harvest of the best-known plum variety "Fellenberg" will now begin in mid-August.

Even though the harvest prospects are "currently excellent", there are also small pests that "can make life difficult for producers".

The pest pressure on plums is particularly high due to the so-called plum moth. The caterpillar of this small butterfly bores into the fruit, causing the plums to ripen prematurely and fall to the ground. Despite preventative measures, according to the fruit association, considerable damage can occur - 30 percent of the crop loss is due to the plum moth.

In order to market so much fruit, good cooperation between production and trade is needed, the association continues.

SDA