Agri-Naturelle is preparing to ship its first consignment of Spanish Primofiori lemons of the 2015/16 campaign to Shanghai. The company's export director Tomás Amer told Fruitnet that the container was due to depart on Friday and arrive in Shanghai at the end of November.
The company pioneered Spanish lemon exports to China with the shipment of a number of containers last season and Amer noted that Spain is rapidly gaining a reputation for the high quality of its lemons, for which Chinese consumers are prepared to pay a premium price.
“We are one of very few companies that have the know-how to ship to China and fulfil all the requirements set out under the import protocol,” he told Fruitnet.
This begins with groves being registered and certified by the Chinese authorities at the outset of the season. The lemons have to be packed in fully traceable cartons and subjected to cold treatment under 20C for a period of 22 days to ensure it is free from Medfly.
According to Amer, only the best quality lemons are able to withstand the process and this sets Spain apart from other lemon supplying countries.
“Thanks to its climatic conditions and soil Spain is able to produce an excellent quality lemon with a high juice content (+44 per cent). Inferior quality fruit doesn’t have the shelf life to reach such a distant market.”
The 2015/16 lemon season has started well with prices generally higher than at this stage last year across international markets. Amer said this was down to the smaller Spanish crop coupled with stronger demand.
As the company’s experience grows it has been able to fine-tune its shipment process to ensure that fruit arrives on the market in even better condition, Amer said. This includes the introduction of ethylene absorbers to containers to filter the air and slow down the ripening process.
Agri-Naturelle’s primary focus is exporting to non-EU markets like China, the Middle East and Canada.
“Our speciality is shipping products long distances and ensuring that they arrive in excellent condition,” Amer explained. “In order to do this we have to cultivate very strong relationships with our growers as we demand that they exceed the quality requirements of the European market. In return for this, we can guarantee them a higher price.”
The company also recently sent its first consignment of potatoes from Segovia to Jordan. However, Amer noted that the company’s experience so far showed that although there is strong demand for premium quality fruits and vegetables in the Middle East, the market is generally not yet prepared to pay a high price for them.
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