The mini heatwave across Europe is hitting both production and sales of Spanish easy-peelers and oranges.

'We need the cold,' said Juan Salvador Torres of Valencia-based producer association Ava-Asaja. 'In the mornings in Valencia it starts off at about 19°C to 20°C and reaches 28°C or 29°C later in the day. It is not normal for October. We need the cold to encourage sales and so that producers can stop worrying about having to irrigate and control pests and disease and concentrate on getting fruit to market.' But reports of a decline in production this season following official forecasts issued last month are misleading, said Torres.

'Production overall may be down on last year, but the picture for individual varieties varies greatly,' he warned. 'On early varieties particularly we are seeing an increase on last season which is compounding the sales situation.' Early easy-peelers such as Marisol and Oroval have increased in volume on last year, by as much as 10 per cent, or more in the case of Marisol. 'We will only start to feel the decline in volume on those varieties available from mid-November when Clemenules, Clemenvilla and Fortuna come on stream,' said Torres.

The Navelina harvest has also begun but a lack of cold means that fruit is not colouring.

However, the weather is forecast to get colder from November 3. 'We hope that the situation will start to settle down then,' said Torres.

Topics