Garcia Ballester has been active in the production and trade of citrus for more than 110 years. The Spanish company has its main branch in Burriana (Castellón), and markets about 80 million kilograms of citrus every year, 90 per cent of which is meant for export markets.
Besides Europe, overseas markets are also becoming more and more important. “We are now exporting to China for the second season, and we want to expand on markets such as Thailand and Singapore,” says commercial manager Jorge Garcia Monfort, who represents the fourth generation of the family company.
He sees much potential in the Asian market. “China is now open only for Spanish oranges, and we export the entire Navel family of oranges. We can only start playing a meaningful role with the later citrus varieties from February in China. Hopefully we’ll also gain access for earlier varieties of oranges and late season mandarins."
"We supply directly to gross markets and retailers in China. The benefit of the Asian market is that they know how to appreciate quality. Chinese consumers love brands and attractive packaging, and they are willing to pay for high-quality imported fruit. The appearance of the citrus also has to be great. I foresee great opportunities for export to China, but we must handle it step by step.”
A new development is that Garcia Ballester also started the import of citrus from South Africa to provide their customers with citrus year-round. By now the Spanish season has also started again.
“Last year we had a very difficult season due to rain, and we couldn’t meet 100% our customers’ demands. Fortunately, the weather has been good this year. If the weather continues being good, volumes will be slightly lower than expected, but we have good quality fruit in the trees,” Jorge concludes.
For more information:
Jorge Garcia Monfort
Garcia Ballester
Tel: +34 964 571 025