The south of Gran Canaria is currently in the middle of the Tirajana apricot harvest. The municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana have predicted that the harvest will see a 70% reduction, having gone from 100,000 kilos last year to a forecast of 30,000 kilos of fruit for 2020, beingf of good quality.
The February calima, which caused significant damage to the flowering of the earliest apricot varieties, as well as a severe lack of rain that has been suffered over recent years, has led to a big fall in production this season, according to municipal technicians in the field.
Zones including Hoya Grande, Tunte, Fataga, Cercados de Araña, Manzanilla, among others, make the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana one with the highest production zones for apricots in the Canary Islands, which are mostly delivered to the Zona Alta Agricultural Cooperative in Tirajana, in the Villa de Tunte, with sales made through a public company, Gestión del Medio Rural de Canarias (GMR).
Tirajana apricots have been promoted for several years by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, through financial contributions, as well as by the Government of the Canary Islands and the Town Hall of San Bartolomé de Tirajana. Apricots from the area are mainly marketed in boxes and crates with distinctive labeling. This year they will be much rarer than usual.
