Citrus campaign to start with greater volume of Satsuma mandarins and smaller calibres

The summer has not been excessively hot on the Valencian coast, with the exception of the heat wave recorded in early August, and this is having a positive impact on the early mandarin varieties Iwasaki, Okitsu and Owari. Their producers hope to recover the volumes lost in the previous campaign.

"This year, we expect the Satsuma mandarin harvest to be significantly greater than that of the previous season. So far, the quality looks very good, although there seems to be an abundance of medium and small sizes," explains David López, of the Commercial Department of Cítricos Asunción López, whose plantations are located in the Valencian region of Ribera Alta. "We expect greater pressure on prices this year," he adds.

"We will start the citrus campaign with the Iwasaki and then we'll continue with the Okitsu and Owari, all belonging to the Satsuma mandarin family. The harvest will be carried out when the fruit's Brix levels are adequate, since a high acidity can lead to external staining issues. We expect to have Okitsus from the last week of September," says the producer and exporter.

The first Spanish Okitsu will compete in the European market with the mandarins and clementines from the southern hemisphere, which have better colouration and a sweeter taste. For this reason, the exporter insists on the importance of waiting for the fruit to be at its optimum point of ripeness before selling it. "Some producers are tempted to sell the first mandarins earlier than usual, as the prices paid are attractive, since it is a new product, but when the fruit arrives on the market without adequate quality and is rejected by the consumer, it ends up affecting the exporters that do their job properly. It should be borne in mind that, at the same time, the European market offers varieties from the southern hemisphere that are very interesting in terms of colour and taste."

According to the exporter, Okitsu and Iwasaki mandarins are especially popular in markets such as Sweden and Finland, as well as in Belgium and the United Kingdom.