According to statistics released by the foreign trade inspector's office in Valencia, exports of Spanish citrus to the end of January were some 22,445 tonnes below levels for the same period last year.
The decline of 5.6 per cent is due in large part to heavy rainfall in December and January and very low temperatures in some growing areas.
Sendings to the US fell from 77,488t last season to 50.117t this year: a decline of more than 35 per cent. This follows the imposition of a US ban on Spanish clementine imports in December 2001. Clementine sendings overall fell from 195,068tto 183,267t, a fall of six per cent.
Meanwhile, Clemenvilla sendings to all markets were up by 12 per cent and sendings of Navel rose by 59 per cent possibly reflecting earlier harvesting.
In terms of markets, several destinations in the Baltic and eastern Europe are performing better than in 2000-01. Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Slovenia and Poland have all increased their uptake of Spanish citrus this year as exporters continue their efforts to develop new markets for Spanish citrus.
