Short chestnut, dry and with “beaky” brand campaign in Bragança

A chestnut campaign is being a “disaster” for several farmers in the municipality of Bragança, who today pointed to Lusa significant breaks, small fruit, dry and “bitty”, due to temperatures and lack of water.

In the village of Salsas, Pedro Zoio is not happy with what he sees. “We’re starting, but it’s a disaster. There are no chestnuts in chestnut trees, the hedgehogs became small, the chestnuts, the few that there are, did not grow ", described.

The campaign has already begun, but the farmer has picked up until today only “30 kilos” of the fruit, because although chestnut trees have “many hedgehogs”, they are “without chestnuts”.

“ The few are now starting to fall. ... I turn around the chestnut trees and don’t see chestnuts on top or below”, he said.

The rain that fell in August and September predicted, he said, a good year of chestnut, but it was not confirmed, predicting a break of “60 to 70%”.

“I don’t foresee a good year of chestnut, not by far, not even close. Last year was bad, this year will be worse, that is, year by year, it is worse and worse ", vincou.

For João Condado, a chestnut producer in Vilarinho village, this year’s campaign “worse would be unthinkable”, estimating that it may have a 40% production drop.

The fruit, he said, is “dry enough”, due to high temperatures and lack of rain, and there is chestnut, especially from early varieties, which is “bitched” or “fungal”.

“There is little and the caliber is small due to atmospheric conditions. In summer little rain and then temperatures were high and caused the chestnut not to develop ", lamented.

The situation is also not better for Marcelino Rodrigues. The Meixedo farmer has not yet started to pick up the chestnut, but stressed that the campaign is “very bad”.

“ I haven't caught anything yet, but it says they are small, they are pierced, they have everything, there are few, I hear ", said.

According to Lusa Abel Pereira, president of Arborea – Agroforestal and Environmental Association of the Transmontana Cold Land, the heat is late the fall of hedgehogs and a “long warm period” was favorable to the appearance of “bitch”.

Adding to the lack of quality, pointed out by the producers, the price is also “above previous years”, being between 1.2 and 1.5 euros per kilo, and may in some cases reach 1.8 euros.

According to engineer Abel Pereira, in a good year, the price of larger chestnut should already cost more than two euros.

Bragança and Vinhais, in the district of Bragança, are the largest chestnut producers in the country.

In a good campaign, in the municipality of Bragança are produced 20,000 tons and in the municipality of Vinhais between 15 to 20,000 tons.