Delays are likely to mark the start of the Spanish citrus season as producers hold back in the hope of boosting external and internal quality.
However, importers remain optimistic and say the delays are unlikely to have a huge impact, with most fruit expected to be around only a few days to a week later than last year.
Mark Edgley, commercial director for citrus with Chingford Fruits, says: “The Spanish producers are looking to get sugar levels up, so we’re expecting satsumas to be around four days later. They’re hoping to improve the internal eating quality of the fruit.”
The official figures for the citrus crop in Spain's largest producing region of Valencia were released by the regional authorities last week and reveal a crop broadly in line with last season's in terms of volume.
The Valencia government forecasts just a 0.25 per cent rise in volume overall, to 3.848 million tonnes. This equates to a rise of around just 10,000t on last season, and the authority predicts the season to be the fourth largest in the last 10 years.
Last year, Spanish exports to the UK totalled around 280,773t, of which oranges made up 112,308t, easy peelers 130,638t, lemons 37,421t and grapefruit 406t.
The new season is likely to compare favourably with last year, which was on the whole uneven, according to Foods from Spain. A spokesman says: “There was good quality but some overly high temperatures in November meant the easy peelers ripened too quickly.
“As a result they lost some of their characteristic acidity and did not keep as well as usual.”
However, this season is not without problems, with warmer weather out in Spain causing an issue for some fruit, says Joep Maussen, citrus category manager with International Produce: “The fruit is still quite green and we need some colder nights out there for fruit to start colouring.”
The conditions are adding to the delay in the crop and means picking will therefore be more spaced out, with the colour of the skin showing the effects of delayed ripening, reports Foods from Spain.
“However, easy peelers other than satsumas are expected to be of better quality this year, in that they are expected to contain fewer pips,” she adds.
The Valencia region particularly has suffered a variety of adverse weather conditions throughout the spring growing season.
“There were frosts at the end of February and beginning of March,” explains Cristóbal Aguado, president of producers’ association Ava-Asaja. “This seriously affected flowering on Navelina, for example and production of that variety is 150,000t (19 per cent) down on last year.”
That view is echoed by UK importers; IP’s Maussen says: “We are anticipating a fall in Navelina of between 15 to 20 per cent, although we think this is mainly down to the fact that it was a good crop last season, which makes this more of an off year.
“The drop in volume has, however, had a positive impact on size and we’re expecting to see good sizes coming through, anywhere between 48s and 56s.”
In Valencia, the summer weather was changeable and temperatures cooler than average in recent years affecting fruit maturity.
And on top of that, hail and floods earlier this month have also taken their toll, which could see a further slight downward revision of official crop estimates.
Satsuma production is forecast to fall by five per cent on last year's figure to some 222,286t in the Valencia region while clementine production will rise by 18.6 per cent to 1.755 million tonnes.
The fall in satsumas continues the downward trend of the past few years, as the EU market continues to shrink. Chingford Fruits’ Edgley says the decline in satsuma production matches the falling demand, and the UK is now the only really strong market left for the citrus. However, he adds: “While production has been falling steadily over the last five years, I think it is now beginning to level off.”
But doubts persist over the long-term viability of satsumas, even in the strong UK market. “Satsumas will remain a perennial favourite with huge volumes sold,” says Budgens’ fruit buyer Danny Grover, “but customer loyalty is now eroding as consumers favour the better eating clementine varieties which also offer better shelf life.”
Orange production generally is down by 11 per cent on the previous year, affected not just by the drop in Navelina but by the “clementinisation” of the Spanish crop, says Aguado, as growers replace and graft orange production with that of clems.
Valencia Late production is forecast to fall by 17 per cent but this will be made up for by an increase in Lane Lates of some 15 per cent, according to Ava-Asaja.
Given the late start, the organisation is also urging growers to wait until fruit is mature enough to harvest rather than rush in too early. “Citrus should be picked at its optimum state of maturity,” says Aguado. “It is common sense for sendings to be staggered and in this way strong prices can be achieved by the marketing sector which will filter back to growers.”
Early arrivals of fruit are now being anticipated from the beginning of October, UK importers say. Paul Andrews, technical director with Mack Multiples, says: “Early satsumas, Okitsu and Clauselina, the first varieties of the season, will be a little late, and we’re expecting the crop to be less than last year by around 15 per cent.
“Awari, the main season crop is not looking much different from last year, although it may be slightly down.”
On the clementine front, Andrews says Marisols are looking good, with volumes expected to be up by around 15 per cent. “We’re expecting them to start arriving around the weekend of October 10,” he adds. “Oronule is also slightly early this year, and we may get some arrivals at the beginning of October. Quantities are likely to be similar to last year.”
IP’s Maussen reports that Marisol is also looking likely to be early this year, by around four to five days, but unlike Andrews he does not believe there to be any significant change in volumes.
He says Clemenules, which follow on from Marisol, while looking similar in volumes to last season, could well be smaller on the size front. However he says it is still a little too early to be completely sure.
On the lemon front, Maussen says the crop is likely to be slightly down this year, with fruit starting to arrive around week 42. “However, there is still some southern hemisphere fruit in the market, so obviously that will have to be sold before we can go fully into Spanish.”
Spain’s citrus production is of huge importance to the UK, with the country being one of the main suppliers of northern hemisphere fruit. Within the country itself there have also been significant changes, with consolidation playing a major part, says Edgley.
“I think, generally, most of the weaker players have now gone. The ones that are left are used to dealing with major multiples from all over Europe.”
Those that are left are adapting to the changing demands from the retail sector and investing significantly in machinery, packhouses and new varieties.
But while the companies left may be among the most efficient and advanced, there may still be changes afoot in Spain, says Maussen: “We’re seeing competition increasing between producers in the Valencia region and those from the south of Spain,” he explains.
He says the average size of farm in the more traditional area of Valencia is around half a hectare to one hectare, whereas the producers in the south have much larger production areas per farmer, making them more cost effective.
“At the moment its difficult to say whether we’re seeing a shift away from Valencia to the south, partly because a lot of southern fruit is being packed in Valencia, but overall it is making the whole country more competitive, which is good,” says Maussen.
This year, Foods from Spain will also be running a promotional campaign to support the country’s citrus exports, that will see television advertising, running from mid November to early December on Carlton, London Weekend, Meridian, GMTV and satellite channels.The adverts will then also be run again on the same networks from the middle to end of January.
GROVER: A RETAILER WITH A VIEW
“OVER 50 per cent of Budgens’ citrus is sourced from Spain, via our category supplier Eurodix,” says Danny Grover, the retailers’ senior fruit buyer.
“Spain offers us the advantage of being relatively close to the marketplace and offers a continuous supply of good quality citrus fruits for nearly six months of the year.”
He says the country had developed new, better eating varieties of soft citrus and oranges and grows its fruit when demand in the UK is at its highest during the winter months.
“Budgens will feature Spanish citrus when the best varieties are available. Clementines and large late Navel oranges will be selected as the main areas for focus. We’ve singled out clems for a pre-Christmas seasonal campaign.”
He says off-shelf promotions will increase the merchandising space and drive volume through increased availability.
Netted clems and large Navels will be heavily promoted through the Christmas period, while Spanish Primafiori lemons will be highlighted during February to meet demand for Shrove Tuesday.
Grover adds: “Spanish citrus is incredibly popular with the UK consumer. Quality is excellent with fresh supplies arriving daily from Spain.
“Volumes naturally increase during December as customers make a traditional Christmas purchase and sales continue to peak throughout January and February as consumers opt for a healthy choice after the indulgence over the festive period.”
He says, while citrus sales show relatively slow category growth, Budgens is aiming to target promotions to increase both consumption and consumer loyalty.
“Citrus fruits have to compete with many other categories. The 5-a-day campaign is increasing consumer awareness of the benefits of eating fresh fruit, however, retailers must continue to educate consumers and give them inspiration in order to increase consumption,” he adds.
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