The long summer drought and the high temperatures in Castellon have left a deep impression on the production of wild black truffles, Tuber melanosporum, this season, which will officially begin on Tuesday, November 15, with very bad forecasts.
"There will practically be no wild truffles. It will be small and of poor quality," stated Javier Segura, an expert in truffles. "In spring, the terrain in the north of Castellon was perfect for the beginning of the production cycle, but the rigorous summer drought has prevented the growth of these fungi," stated Jorge Membrado, another expert from the sector.
Juli Bayot, Ares seeker, shares this view. "I went out with the dogs and after going through more than a dozen truffle production areas, they only marked one spot and the truffles we found were very small." According to Bayot, the wild truffle campaign is in the hands of the areas in which there were some summer storms. "We might find some truffles in some very concrete area where it rained during summer, but in general the campaign will be a disaster."
The plantations will save this year's campaign. "If the crops have been irrigated and cared for, they'll be the only hope this year and for the future in the regions of the interior of Castellon," Segura stated.
Prices, a mystery
The hospitality and catering industry is waiting for the start of the official season to check how prices will fare this year. So far, prices are still unknown but everything indicates that they could be astronomical.
Knowing how much will be paid for the truffle of the Castilian interior before the beginning of the season is impossible, according to experts. However, this year they could reach record levels.
According to the forecasts of the specialists, this first week's batches will be sold at 200 euro per kilo. "However, as Christmas approaches and the world of gastronomy begins to take an interest in the product, they will skyrocket," Segura says.
Thus, the forecasts of the Spanish market mark a clear upward trend given the great demand that is expected both in Spain and in neighboring France.
Source: elperiodicomediterraneo.com