Tesco is promoting Spanish citrus to the general public in London this week, giving away a sizeable volume of fresh oranges to passing commuters at King's Cross and Waterloo railway stations.
The promotion, organised by London-based PR agency The Little Big Voice, is the first major promotion to be run by the retailer following the recent signing of a five-year deal with its major citrus supplier, Murcia-based AMC Group, to form a joint venture direct supply company AMT Fruit.
AMT is now supplying citrus to Tesco on a global basis via the retailer's international Group Food Sourcing hubs, sourcing and distributing lemons, limes, satsumas, clementines, tangerines, oranges and grapefruit for sale through its various regional businesses.
The partnership is also aiming to deliver new ranges and produce to Tesco customers and the best varieties in the market through AMC's varietal development and breeding programme, Citrus Genesis.
Speaking at the Eurofruit Congress Southern Hemisphere in Lima on 6 November, AMC chief executive Alvaro Muñoz revealed that around 857ha had already been planted with Citrus Genesis varieties in South Africa, Peru, Turkey, Spain, Israel, Morocco, Australia, Egypt and Chile.
Production of the group's protected varieties is expected to reach 14,000 tonnes this year and estimated to rise to 45,000 tonnes by 2017, he added.
