There was already a good demand for citrus in late autumn in 2012. The very early arrival of the winter in Germany and the other important buying countries for citrus meant a matching positive demand according to the German Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (AMI).
At the same time low temperatures meant that the fruit coloured well in the cultivation regions, which also boosted consumption. The import from overseas also ran out early, which meant that the supply from Spain, Morocco and other European supplying countries had no competition. The current market situation is very different from that in 2012. The comparatively warm weather in Germany and the production areas along the Mediterranean Sea has had a mostly negative effect on the colouring of the fruits and buying interest. The sales amount have gone up within the German food trade since the start of the month and the arrival of slightly cooler temperatures, but remain firmly under the level of last year. The supply and demand remain in balance for now, but the import is increasing.