The regional delegate of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment, Francisco Zurera, said last week that Cordoba will produce a total of 291,945 tonnes of citrus this season, which represents a 14.2% increase compared to the previous campaign.
Zurera pointed out that this increase is due to the progressive entrance into production of the province's new plantations and to the good weather conditions, better than last year's.
As for production volumes per species, the largest are expected to be those of sweet oranges, with a production of 282,797 tonnes, followed by mandarins, with 7,563 tonnes and grapefruit, with 1,262 tonnes. Lemons will reach 209 tonnes, bitter oranges 73 tonnes and other citrus will surpass the 41 tonnes.
The delegate stressed how Cordoba's citrus sector has reached an acreage of 11,657 hectares, 13% of Andalusia's total acreage, of which 95% are irrigated plantations, and emphasised how the province's acreage has quadrupled in just 10 years.
There are around 1,000 agricultural holdings in the province with a significant proportion of plantations that are less than 10 years old. The citrus sector generates around 450,000 jobs per year in La Vega del Guadalquivir; 50% of the total generated in the area.
Source: cordobagraria.es