The Clemenules campaign is in its final stage, which has lasted much longer than usual, and large volumes are expected for the second season varieties, with an abundance of small calibers and prices under greater pressure compared to last year. In general, the consumption of organic clementines and mandarins has fallen due to inflation.
Alberto Torres, director of Citruslandia.
"We are still marketing good quality organic Clemenules at acceptable prices at dates when we should have already finished," says Alberto Torres, director of the Valencian company Citruslandia, a specialist in the production and marketing of organic clementines and mandarins.
"It is worth noting that we have had really favorable weather for the cultivation of Clemenules, with no rain during the harvest, and this has contributed to ensure consistency in the fruit's texture and an optimal level of acidity. The only drawback has been, perhaps, the greater presence of seeds, due to a dry spring," he says.
"With such good quality Clemenules, there have hardly been any discards. This, together with the fact that we have had more fruit than initially expected, has resulted in the campaign lasting much longer than usual. While we normally start with the Clemenvilla around December 15th, this year there won't be consistent volumes of this variety until mid-January. We expect to continue with the Clemenules for about two more weeks, which is unprecedented for us," says Alberto Torres.
According to the producer and exporter, the harvest of second season mandarins, such as the Nadorcott, Tango or Orri, among others, is expected to be significantly higher than last year, and with a predominance of small and medium calibers.
Alberto Torres, with his son Alberto, who is studying agricultural engineering, and his wife. At the very left and very right, Juan Soriano and his son Rafa, producers of M7 orange, at the stand of the Club de Variedades Protegidas (Protected Varieties Club).
"This year we will have almost twice as much production. Also, the transition to the Nadorcott and Tango will happen later, so prices are likely to be under more pressure compared to the previous campaign, when there was an upward trend up until the end. Morocco has been shipping Nadorcott to Europe for a month now and there won't be a big jump in the prices of the Spanish production. It is also worth recalling that a lot of Nadorcott and Tango has been planted in recent years, both organic and conventional."
According to Alberto Torres, orders for organic clementines have fallen by between 15 and 20% this year due to lower consumption in an inflationary context with high prices. "We have managed to grow because we have expanded our customer base, but in the organic sector, we have seen a decrease in the sales volume per customer," he says.
Citruslandia has made investments in social and water use certifications. "We already have the Spring module from GlobalG.A.P., aimed at sustainable water use, as well as social certifications such as GRASP or Ecovalia. This is something that those of our customers who are looking for organic fruit are increasingly focusing on," says Alberto Torres.
For more information:
Alberto Torres
Citruslandia S.L.
Sorní 17, 1
46004 Valencia, Spain
T: +34 609588939
alberto@donalber.es
citruslandia-sl.