Spain's national citrus committee ñ El Comité de Gestión de Cítricos ñ forecasts export volumes from the Mediterranean country of 1.361 million tonnes this season. The figure represents a five per cent increase on last year, which committee chairman Octavio Ramón described as satisfactory, despite uncertainty surrounding exports to the US following the lifting of the 2001 veto on imports of Spanish easy-peelers, and frost and wind damage in February.
Spain broke export records in 2002-03 by exporting 3.312mt but this season that figure should be bettered. The committee estimates that exports of easy-peelers is likely to reach 1.358mt, oranges 1.425mt, lemons 550,000t and 28,000t of grapefruit.
Spain is confirmed once again as the largest citrus producer of citrus in the region by the citrus liaison committee for the Mediterranean, CLAM. According to CLAM data, Spain will account for 58 per cent of total citrus production of 5.7mt in the Mediterranean Basin this season.
