GLOBAL OVERVIEW STONE FRUIT Frosty conditions in orchards in many countries this year have led to a slower start to many stone fruit productions across the globe, with Spain and Italy being particularly hard hit. However, this situation has benefited sellers in import markets such as the Netherlands, as well as those unaffected by these weather conditions like Turkey and South Africa. China is facing a particularly difficult season, as increases in production lead to lower prices, and in Australia, production is hampered not by weather, but by a lack of labour due to COVID-19. The Netherlands: A little less supply is not necessarily bad for the stone fruit market