“At the moment, there is no product that sells properly on the citrus fruit market,” says José Martinez of Enbata Fruits, importer of fruits and vegetables. “This season is a big disaster. There is no demand and supplies are abundant. This situation gave rise to a price war.”
Enbata Fruits only offers Spanish citrus fruits grown in the region of Valencia. The fruits are picked and packed by hand. “We produce and distribute citrus fruits in Spain. We also have the Rosita Espagne brand, which we distribute in France from our platform implanted in Hendaye, 1.2 miles from the Spanish border.”
The small fruits
According to José, nobody knows why the situation is so problematic on the citrus fruit market. “The lack of demand can be due to the economic situation in France, but also to the weather, which is too mild. There was no winter. The citrus fruits are small this year, which did not help the situation. There is also strong competition from Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, Egypt and Israel.” José adds that the yellow vests were another obstacle. “The movement hurt us very much, not only for the citrus fruits, but also for other products.”
Enbata Fruits markets its citrus fruits under the Rosita brand. “Brand marketing gives us the opportunity to dominate the product. We always have the same traceability and the same working methods. Our clients know the brand and know what quality to expect. But this year, the added value of the brands hardly counts. It is the price that matters most.” All the citrus fruits of Enbata Fruits are sold on the French market, to wholesalers as well as retailers.
Enbata Fruits is part of the Lion d’Or group, a wholesale distributor. The two main sites of the company are located in the north of France, in Râches and Saint-Quentin. During the season, the company also offers peaches, nectarines and yellow Charentais melons.
The Rosita brand has been around for a long time. These photos were taken between 1943 and 1952:
For more information: 
José Martinez
Enbata Fruits
+33 (0)5 59 48 81 31
enbatafruits@orange.fr