The great kaki production in Spain this season has led to prices collapsing since late October, when the harvest was only just starting. Many trees have been left unharvested, as the ridiculous sales prices do not compensate for the costs.
“It's very simple. A lot of kaki trees have been planted in recent years and there are not enough markets or consumption to absorb such a supply. In the two previous campaigns, weather adversities had taken a negative toll on the harvest volumes, hiding the real potential of the Spanish kaki production,” says Pascual Prats, president of the Spanish Kaki Association.
This year, some producers have started to uproot their trees, but according to Pascual Prats, the acreage uprooted may represent about 2% of the total, which is somewhat unrepresentative. “This season's disaster has been a very hard blow for the sector, but it won't yet lead to its restructuring. It is very difficult to regulate the acreage devoted to the production of Rojo Brillante kakis, because it is a free variety. At the moment, most of the kaki production is in the hands of cooperatives, and if the kaki campaigns continue with this trend, producers will be forced to abandon their crops. The cooperatives report that all the fruit available to their members in their plantations has been sold, but I do not believe that there will be any profits for the growers.”
Pest control has also been a real challenge for Valencian producers. “Neither the Department of Agriculture of the Government of Valencia, nor the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries have authorized the use of any of the treatments to combat pests that were used before. At the same time, they have not given us an alternative solution either,” says Pascual Prats. "I also believe that we need more research in the sector to extend the shelf life of the kakis."