Spanish clementines

There could be a shortage of Spanish clementines on the market for the crucial Christmas trading period, a growers' leader has warned.

CristóbalAguado, president of producers' association Ava-Asaja, calculates that this season production volumes are 'normal' and does not expect the Valencia region to have more fruit than last year, but he complains there is imbalance in the marketplace.

'Fruit maturity has been running late and unfortunately some businesses have tried to export too early,' said Mr Aguado. 'Because some operators have been hurrying theharvest along, pries have been falling because there is too much on themarket.

'The situation with the clementine crop is that within amonth there could be a shortage, all because marketers have been incapable of understanding that harvesting more than the market can consume is very damaging,' he added.

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