There is a drastic shortage of Spanish satsumas for UK supermarket buyers this season due to weather issues and sizing problems.
Rain in September has pushed availability down to just 60 per cent of last season’s volumes as fruit was lost from the trees. The result is that remaining satsumas are very large and outside the usual specifications for the UK market.
One UK importer said: “The cost price for our size profile is very inflated. On top of that the crop is about seven to 10 days late and this is putting massive pressure on a very short market. Retailers are intent on pricing for a market that is in recession and with weak sterling we are really struggling to get the prices we need: we just can’t procure for the prices the supermarkets are selling at. It is a massive problem and basically a big fight out there to get the fruit we need.”
The gloom does not show any sign of lifting soon, either. The source said: “Everyone is too busy with their heads down with these current difficulties and scrabbling around to get fruit that isn’t the wrong calibre to look ahead. We are all feeling very squeezed.”
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