The spanish citrus sector was this week facing unrest as grower groups stepped up pressure for a general strike.

Producers are complaining that prices they are being paid are “ruinous” and were this week studying the possibility of halting citrus activity altogether. The confederation of agricultural co-ops in Valencia, Fecoav, said this drastic action was necessary to stop growers losing any more than they have done already.

At last week’s general assembly of beleaguered easy-peeler and orange supply chain and promotional body Intercitrus, producers’ representatives from Fecoav and other organisations called for the general strike - but representatives from marketing desks did not give their support.

Grower organisations Ava-Asaja and Coag have also warned that citrus prices in Spain are “plunging” and have called on the regional and national authorities to “take action”.

But national citrus management committee president and this season’s president of Intercitrus Antonio Muñoz has angered growers by saying that taking strike action, especially at this point in the season, would be inopportune. He said: “To stop harvesting citrus now at the height of the season when all the major retail chains in Europe want to work with us is a serious mistake. It is a counter-productive act as, if Spain cannot guarantee supply, the retailers will not hesitate in looking elsewhere and it will take a number of years before those customers regain their confidence in our country and in our ability to supply.”

Ava-Asaja said in a statement that Muñoz should be more conciliatory in his declarations to the press or resign from his post at the helm of Intercitrus. And in a joint announcement issued with four other grower groups, it said strike action even without the full agreement of citrus organisations nationally is still a possibility.

Growers are complaining that, in the face of a record volume crop, prices paid at the farm gate are not enough to cover costs.

And in south-eastern growing areas, unseasonably cold temperatures are affecting fruit development. One exporter told freshinfo: “Fruit is just not sizing up because it has been so cold. It is particularly noticeable on oranges and if conditions do not warm up, oranges in large sizes will be in tighter supply.”

Meanwhile, Ailimpo, the supply chain and promotional body for Spanish lemons and grapefruit, has suspended trade in Class II lemons for the month of December. The drastic measure has been taken in order to improve market conditions for the fruit.

According to Ailimpo president José Andrés Pérez, high levels of rainfall so far this season have increased lemon production and prices have taken a dive. Rainfall has been particularly heavy in Murcia, Malaga and Alicante. Pérez warned that prices had fallen so low that growers were struggling to cover costs.

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