The first significant volumes of Jaffa pomelo of the season are on the water and will be in the UK market next week.

Shipped by MTEX UK, the Israeli pomelo has an exclusive window through to April and expectations are for a small volume increase year-on-year.

“It is still too early to make concrete production volume predictions,” said MTEX UK general manager Marius du Plessis. “However, roughly we expect a 15 per cent rise on last year’s sendings to the UK. Hot weather has brought the fruit forward a bit more quickly than usual and maturity and sugar levels are advanced on last season.

“The heat has also had an effect on the average fruit size, which will be larger than we saw in 2009.”

Around 10 per cent of the total MTEX pomelo production is sent to the UK, said du Plessis.

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