Since November, oranges have not been selling on the French market. “Consumption stopped suddenly at the beginning of the campaign,” reports José Martinez of the company Enbata Fruits, marketer of Spanish citrus fruits in France. “I don’t understand why there is no urge to consume oranges. The fruits are good, there is 30 to 40% less production than last year and still, nobody buys them.”
Enbata Fruits sells its oranges under the brand Rosita Espagne.
All the oranges are impacted by the lack of consumption. “Oranges for juice, Maltese oranges from Tunisia...there is no consumption for any variety or any origin. All the players of the sector tell me that oranges are not selling. It really is a big problem.”
The oranges are picked but not sold at the right price
In contrast to the oranges, there is a demand for small fruits like the clementine. “But the production costs are higher than the selling prices in France, even though prices are higher than last year. This year, the citrus fruit sector is experiencing a huge loss. The Spanish cooperatives are struggling to cope. At the end of the season, some of them will most likely leave the citrus fruit sector. It is getting clearer by the day. There comes a point when it is impossible to go on.”
For more information:
José Martinez
Enbata Fruits
Phone: +33 (0)5 59 48 81 31
enbatafruits@orange.fr