"The overseas citrus season is, once again, off to an interesting start," says Exsa Europe's Eddy Kreukniet. "Especially noticeable is that citrus across the board is coming to market as much as two weeks earlier. That makes it as if much larger volumes are being shipped, but considering that we're two weeks ahead, everything's right on track. After all, harvest forecasts aren't spectacularly higher."
"There's room for an early South African start so the grapefruit season's overflow is going fine. The seasons in Turkey, Israel, and Spain are virtually over. The same goes for lemons. Here, we should add that, due to internal problems, Argentina won't be on the market much, if at all, this year. That should ensure that this year's lemon market remains balanced," Eddy explains.
"Mandarins have gotten off to a great start. Morocco and Spain are entirely finished, meaning a market shortage for at least three to four weeks. Plus, unusually, Peru has exported very little. But South Africa has more, so that will balance out. Erratic weather in Mpumalanga and Limpopo damaged the mandarins and oranges. But in other regions, the crops look fantastic."
"There are also few good oranges, so there's room for South Africa to start early. Spanish oranges are few and far between, and Egypt is showing mixed results, but we still need that country's oranges in the coming weeks. The water shortage in Morocco is hindering exports, which will undoubtedly be evident in the Maroc Late offerings on the market," Eddy continues.
Europe has again tightened its Citrus Black Spot and False Codling Moth regulations. "Since not every South African region has sufficient cooling capacity, this causes issues. If there are many interceptions during the season, these usually resolve themselves. I, however, feel that South Africa has generally prepared well to solve this problem."
"Also, increased costs remain. It may sound like a broken record, but we must deal with it. The somewhat weaker Rand exchange rate benefits South African growers. Sea freights costs are dropping too, but as always, not by as much as they rose," Eddy concludes.
For more information:
Eddy Kreukniet
Exsa Europe
Tel: +31 (0) 887 350 003
Mob: +31 (0) 620 257 811
Email: info@exsaeurope.com
Website: www.exsaeurope.com