Varied citrus outlook from Spain

Spanish citrus growers in the Castellón area are expecting a larger citrus crop than last season. Agronomists are advising growers on producing larger fruit as the call has come from exporters for bigger oranges in particular. This is in line with market expectation and in recent seasons, large oranges from all sources have been sought after on the UK market.

Meanwhile, the harvest in Alicante, particularly of lemons, is likely to be lighter this season as the crop has been hit by the vagaries of the weather. Local press reports in the region of Valencia attribute the problems to late winter frosts in February and the beginning of March as well as heavy rainfall in April and May. Production of Navelina and Lane Late is also likely to be down , the report indicated.