The area planted with mandarins and clementines in Huelva has overtaken oranges for the first time this season. Figures from the Association of Citrus Producers of Huelva (ACPH) show that total acreage for the 2015/16 season stands at 17,500 ha, of which mandarins and clementines account for 9,000 ha and oranges for 8,500 ha. Last season planted area totalled 16,600 ha, with soft citrus and oranges making up 7,400 ha and 9,200 ha respectively.
The trend towards mandarins and clementines has been occurring for some years now in Spain although in recent years it has accelerated due to the higher prices achieved for easy peelers, particularly extra early and early clementine varieties, as quality has improved.
According to ACPH, the province of Huelva produced 485,000 tonnes of citrus in 2014/15, of which clementines accounted for 44.5 per cent.
Although a national forecast for the current season has yet to be released, clementine production is expected to be higher than orange production in the whole of Spain.
