Spanish citrus producers are facing losses of tens of millions of euros due to what agricultural unions are calling a “catastrophic” season for Navelinas, the most important orange variety grown in the Valencia region.
Ava-Asaja said since the start of the season, prices had fluctuated between €0.10 and €0.18 per kg, below the €0.22 per kg cost of production. It blamed a combination of greater availability (production has increased by 19 per cent on last year), and quality issues resulting from the unseasonably warm autumn, which had led to a high incidence of citrus creasing – a problem affecting appearance of the fruit.
Willem Koole of Dutch importer Frukar told Fruitnet that the Navelina market had been sluggish since the outset of the season.
“The unusually hot weather during the autumn had a huge impact on the crop, resulting in a lot of smaller sizes and affecting shelf-life,” he said, adding that the mild winter was also affecting consumption.
“In northern and western Europe, where consumers prefer bigger fruit, demand is down and prices are too low for the time of year,” he said.
The situation in easy peelers is somewhat better. José Enrique Sanz of PGI Cítricos Valencianos said the quality of the clementine crop was good and the market had been fairly brisk, with “acceptable” price levels.
Clementine exporters are seeing particularly strong demand in the US due to the shortage in the California deal resulting from the December freeze. John Lazopoulos of Fort Pierce, Florida-based DNE World Fruit Sales, told The Packer that a combination of the freeze and excellent quality out of Spain had led to a surge in demand. “Demand is very good, and it’s strengthening,” he said.
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