Murcia's table grape campaign has so far reached considerably higher production volumes than last season, "precisely the opposite of what happened last year," reports Elena Núñez, Commercial Director of Frutas Campo de Blanca. "Production volumes could be between 20 and 30% larger."
Moreover, the fruit's quality this year is characterised by greater calibres, as most of the Crimson and Autumn Royal harvested are L or XL.
"For now the quality is good in terms of size, colour and sweetness for the varieties we work with. We still do not know if the Crimson will experience any problems with colour over the next few weeks, but right now it presents a satisfactory quality with a sugar level of +18º Brix. In two weeks we will start harvesting the varieties with seeds, such as the new one developed by Table Grape Research and Technology (ITUM), Itumeleven, similar to the Napoleon, but with higher sugar levels (between 18 and 20º Brix) and larger calibres, which was very well received last year, especially in the Arab Emirates," explains Elena.
Oversupply is causing prices to drop this year, although that is not the only reason. "Last season we obtained much better prices, not only because the market was not as saturated, but also because demand was higher. At the moment the market is stagnating; everyone has been affected by the recession and there are concerns within the sector, which aware about the situation of oversupply, is forced to reduce prices. Nevertheless, we believe that in October prices will recover, as it is usually a very good month for grapes."
The Murcian company Frutas Campo de Blanca produces and commercialises table grapes and stone fruit under the brand 100% AMAYA, collaborating with wholesalers and supermarkets. "We export 100% of our grapes to Europe and Russia, where we ship 85% of our grapes with seeds. Little by little, we seek to enter Asia and the Middle East."
Elena Núñez thinks that the traditional European markets are stagnating nowadays, with plenty of supply from Italy, Spain's main competitor, "which has an aggressive pricing policy." For this reason, Russia has gained plenty of relevance over the past few years, as it also offers a wide range of possibilities, taking into account that it has a population of more than 140 million inhabitants.
This year, Frutas Campo de Blanca will once again have a stand at the fair Fruit attraction, in Madrid, to take place between 16 and 18 October, in which special emphasis will be put on promoting the new varieties developed by ITUM.
For more information, contact:
Elena Núñez
Frutas Campo de Blanca, S.C.A.
T: +34 968776063
comercial@campodeblanca.com
www.campodeblanca.com
For more information, contact:
Elena Núñez
Frutas Campo de Blanca, S.C.A.
T: +34 968776063
comercial@campodeblanca.com
www.campodeblanca.com