Southern Hemisphere volumes bounce back after El Niño, but company warns of crowded European market
Salix Fruits expects to see an upswing in sales of Southern Hemisphere citrus this year as production recovers from El Niño.
Commenting on the outlook for the summer citrus programme, CEO Alejandro Moralejo said: “This year, we anticipate a recovery in citrus volumes from nearly all origins. After last year’s climatic challenges, such as the El Niño phenomenon in Peru, we are prepared for a significant increase in our supply to all our destinations, including the US, Canada, India, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Russia”.
Another plus point, Moralejo said, is that ocean freight rates have returned to pre-pandemic levels. But he said there is concern over the situation in the European market, which is oversupplied with Spanish, Moroccan and Egyptian citrus.
Salix Fruits kicked off its summer citrus season in March-April with early mandarins, which will continue until October. “Lemons will be available from March to September, while oranges, starting with Navels and continuing with Valencia types, will be available from May to October. Grapefruits will be available from May to August, and Tahiti limes will be available all year round from Colombia and Peru,” Moralejo said.
Salix Fruits has sourcing offices in various countries, basing its offer on the quality preferred by each customer. “From Argentina, lemons are our main product for all markets, while for the US we source other citrus fruits like oranges and mandarins from Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. Also, South Africa is one of our main citrus origins for all the destinations,” Moralejo continued.
