"Consumption of mandarins completely stagnant"

The first Spanish mandarins have arrived earlier this year, coinciding with high temperatures at their destinations and a lack of consumption that has driven prices down by more than 30% compared with the same period last year.

"At this time last year we were selling satsumas at a good pace and for good prices, despite the high temperatures in the Scandinavian countries, the main consumers of these early mandarins. At present, sales are almost completely stagnant in all markets and we've had to stop the harvest and slow down the work in our packaging plant," explains José Manuel Pardo, manager of the Valencian company named after him.

"Although we are bringing prices down below the production cost, we are selling the same amount of mandarins. The Okitsu campaign has already been lost," he states.

According to the exporter, the lack of consumption is the main factor, but another important one is the still abundant supply of mandarins and clementines from the southern hemisphere, from countries like South Africa, Peru, Chile or Argentina. "I do not think mandarins from these countries are selling well, and our citrus also already have good organoleptic qualities," he adds.

José Manuel Pardo said that the large distribution chains have already been putting pressure on prices, since the calibres are smaller and much greater volumes are expected compared to last season, when heat waves caused the production to fall by over 30%. "The prospects are horrible at the moment. We hope to start selling mandarins in Germany next week. When overall consumption becomes more active, we may be talking about prices 50% lower than those recorded last season."

José Manuel Pardo specialises in the marketing of mandarins and clementines with leaf. "At the moment, the extra early varieties, such as the Okitsu or Iwasaki, are not packed with leaf, since, for some reason, they have never been successful. We'll start with our clementines with leaf after the harvest of the Clemenrubi variety."