The loss of about half of the province's clemenules harvest (about 220,000 tonnes, according to the Council) has not resulted in an increase of the price of the oranges being harvested. Consequently, Fepac-Asaja has issued a complaint. "The game is rigged," said its vice president, José Francisco Nebot. "The case of oranges is similar to that of gasoline or mortgages, but always the other way round; it never goes beyond a maximum price."
This has happened with the province's flagship variety, which is in a dire situation. In fact, according to the head of citrus at La Unió, José Ramón Urbán, the maximum price of the clemenules only slightly exceeds 30 cents per kilo; a figure 2 cents lower than last year's, when there was more fruit. However, the minimum price this campaign does not reach 10 cents per kilo, while last year it reached around 20 cents.
Faced with this situation, the vice-president of Fepac is only asking for one thing: "decent prices for the harvest of the second stage of the campaign." So far, the Hernandina is reaching the same prices as last year at this point, according to the Lonja de Valencia, although Urbán points out that prices could still improve. But for this to be possible and growers to receive decent prices, the current polar cold wave has first to pass without damaging the fruit. For now, that seems a likely prognosis, according to Urbán and AVA-Asaja.
Source: elperiodicomediterraneo.com
