Less peaches drops supply of fresh fruit by 25%

During the third quarter, the volume of fresh fruit and vegetables sold through official markets declined by 6.8 per cent, whereas the wholesale value increased by 6.3 per cent, when compared to the corresponding quarter in 2011.

The supply of fresh fruit and vegetables in the third quarter amounted to 12.7 million kilograms, a decline of 6.8 per cent over the comparative period in 2011. Conversely, the wholesale value increased by 6.3 per cent, amounting to €4.6 million.

The volume of fresh vegetables fell by 5.2 per cent to 11.8 million kilogrammes over the comparative quarter last year. Underpinning this result were declines in the supply of potatoes (-27.0 per cent), tomatoes (-10.9 per cent), sugar melons (-9.4 per cent) and dry onions (-8.6 per cent). In contrast, the wholesale value of fresh vegetables rose by 8.5 per cent to €3.9 million.

The supply of fresh fruit dropped by 24.8 per cent, mainly on account of a decrease in the availability of peaches (-55.6 per cent). Similarly, the wholesale value of fresh fruit declined by 5.1 per cent to €0.7 million.

Maltese farmers supplied 10.9 million kilogrammes of fresh fruit and vegetables, yielding €4.0 million. Their produce accounted for 85.8 per cent of the total supply of fresh fruit and vegetables for the quarter under review.

Gozitan farmers supplied the remaining 14.2 per cent of the total supply, amounting to 1.8 million kilogrammes. The wholesale value advanced by 19.6 per cent to €0.6 million.

During the period under review, the quarterly 'All Items' fresh fruit price index for the third quarter rose by 14.97 points ( 21.2 per cent) to 85.54 points. In contrast, the fresh fruit volume index dropped by 42.29 points (-24.8 per cent) to 128.42 points.

While the quarterly 'All Items' fresh vegetables price index rose by 13.14 points ( 17.2 per cent) to 89.42 points, the 'All Items' fresh vegetables volume index decreased by 6.35 points (-5.2 per cent) to 116.79 points in the third quarter.