Spain is preparing for its worst citrus campaign in more than 20 years as the cold weather early in 2005 hits production hard. Overall the crop in Valencia - by far the largest growing area in Spain - is expected to fall to just below three 3 million tonnes a decline of 1mt on last season's levels. This represents and a 25 per cent drop, according to figures released by the Valencia regional executive last week.
Producers naturally are hoping that the dramatic decline in their volumes will lead to an uplift in prices, while their representative associations are calling for caution and urging growers not to pick fruit too early and immature in their haste to get the best returns from the market. "It is incomprehensible that yet again certain commercial operators have started to harvest extra-early easy-peelers without the correct maturity levels and in a season that is running behind schedule," said Cristóbal Aguado, of growers' association Ava-Asaja in Valencia.
It is the earliest varieties that have been affected most by the knock-on effect of the winter cold snap and availability from now until January is likely to be affected with clementines showing a decrease on last season of almost a third. And with particular impact on the UK, the satsuma crop is forecast to come in below 145,000 tonnes with a fall of some 37 per cent on last year.
The crop of hybrid varieties Clementilla, Fortune and Ortaline are also down significantly by 38, 32 and 37 per cent respectively. Early and mid-season oranges are also forecast to have drastically reduced harvests with Navelina and Salustiana down below half usual levels of production. Navel is forecast to experience a slump in production of some 44 per cent.
Apart from the dramatic declines, Aguado expects that barring any further climatic abnormality, the campaign should run smoothly without any overlap between varieties.
