There could be a gap in orange availability on the UK market, which will make supplies tight over the next two to three weeks, importers forecast.
One industry insider told freshinfo: “June is often a little short. Unless Morocco is saturated with fruit, you know it will be a short month.”
This situation has been exacerbated in 2011. “Morocco has had a lot of rain which affected volumes and also a strong local market so they have not looked to export so much,” said the source. “They have more or less stopped exporting now. I think there will be a bit of a gap as the market waits for the first South African Navel shipments to arrive.”
Prices on wholesale markets reflected this pressure on the market with cartons of Maroc Late making 1050p for the largest sizes and 900p for smaller fruit.
Meanwhile, citrus growers in Uruguay are concerned that their sector is going through one of its toughest times with its competitiveness on international markets under threat due to exchange rate issues and the rising cost of inputs.
