The Spanish citrus sector must work together to tackle the current market crisis it is facing, obtain better prices and encourage greater citrus consumption in core European markets.
This is the view of Valencia-based Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) regulatory body Cítricos Valencianos, which believes the only way for the industry to overcome the present “pricing crisis” is to “join forces to regulate and concentrate supply”.
PGI president José Barres Gabarda said: “Valencia’s citrus sector has to be truly united in the face of the crisis we are experiencing and must act as a lobby to achieve the unification of the offer, so that growers can obtain added value to their incomes.”
Barres argued that it was “the responsibility of the entire sector” to “stay strong and united” and not sell fruit at “throwaway” prices.
“It is of the highest priority that the sector regulates the entire offer, starts to rationalise production costs and, especially, concentrates the offer as much at a production level as a commercial level,” he said.
Barres also called for Spanish citrus producers to work together to “reactive” citrus consumption in export markets through joint promotion, communication and marketing actions.
