Spanish industry wants to maintain high wine production as long as low production continues in France.

According to the first estimates of the Castilla-La Mancha cooperatives, Spain is expected to harvest about 43 million hectoliters of wine and must this year.

Forecasts that place 2021 production at the Spanish average but significantly higher than the French harvest.

Harvesting began, as usual, in the Montilla-Moriles region in late July and then started in other productive areas, such as Castilla-La Mancha, in the first half of August  2021, with the first grape varieties Chardonnay and Muscat.

 Except for a few downy mildew problems, the crop is generally considered healthy, and the tumors are typical, although they have fallen by about 10% since last year.

The situation pleases professional organizations, which openly declare that they are ready to take advantage of the significant drop in production projected elsewhere, especially in France.

 Even if the first quantitative estimates have yet to be published in Italy - they will be made in the first half of September - Italian producers today expect a slight reduction of about 5 to 10% of the 2021 harvest, despite frosts and other phenomena this year.

La Coldiretti recently estimated that production could be between 44 and 47 million hectoliters.

In Spain, the expected volumes are on average, but the stocks are enough.

At the end of July 2021 and amid the ongoing pandemic, they were estimated at around 37 million hectoliters, of which just over 11 million in Castilla-La Mancha alone, to which almost 2 million hl must be added. Although these figures remain high, they nevertheless reflect the excellent performance of exports (nearly 22 Mhl for one year) and the gradual recovery of the domestic market.

In this context, Spanish farmers 'unions demand prices above production costs, which is not always the case, according to the Asaja Young Farmers' Association.

 For example, the ubiquitous Airen white grape variety costs € 0.2085 per kilogram to be produced in an irrigated area within DO La Mancha, for an average purchase price often not exceeding € 0.165, according to the Aaja.

Tempranillo, whose production cost was 0.228 euros, was paid 0.21 euros.

The organization, whose crop estimation is more careful (39-40 Mhl) than cooperatives, regrets that the ongoing study on production cost assessment under the auspices of the national OIVE has yet to be published.

Aaja Castilla-La Mancha demands that prices paid to producers not be 20% lower than production costs this year, citing compliance with the agri-food chain law, which prohibits selling at a loss in the agricultural sector.

Slight increase in production in Portugal

According to the first forecasts published by the Instituto da Vinha e do Vinho, the Portuguese crop is expected to increase slightly this year with a total volume of 6,472,000 hectoliters (+ 1% / 2020).

 Despite this overall stability, significant disparities between regions are emerging.

 Thus, in the northern region of Minho, a reduction of volumes by 15% this year (721 MHL) is forecast, while in the neighboring Douro-Porto, an increase of 20% (1.52 ml) is expected.

The same is true in the country's south, wherein a 15% drop is forecast to 1.07 Mhl in the Lisbon area, while in Alentejo, its volume could increase by 5% (1.2 Mhl).

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