Sluggish citrus market

As winter comes to an end, Benoît Maillard-Guillon of Établissements Meseguer takes stock of the situation on the market for mandarins, oranges, lemons and pomelos.

Mandarin production is linear but unsteady
The mandarin season did not go well for Israel. "Shipments were much lower than last year due to the geopolitical situation. The weather was not very favorable either, which affected the quality of the merchandise." However, consumers did not suffer from this shortage on the market, which was largely offset by other origins, including Spain.

"The Orri mandarin is well represented on the French market this year, along with the Spanish origin. The quality of the product is quite remarkable, robust and unanimously appreciated."

In terms of both quantity and quality, the market is well-supplied. However, trading is difficult. "As far as we are concerned, sales are fairly fluid, as we are lucky enough to distribute an excellent quality: the 'Saveur de l'Année' label. But overall, the market is tight. Prices remain relatively high in the face of the slow demand. We have also noticed a drop in consumption since the recent events in the agricultural sector."

The orange market is even more complicated
The situation is even more complicated for oranges. "At the start of the campaign, we estimated a 20% drop in production in Spain, which should have led to firm prices. However, the closure of the Suez Canal led to a large influx of Egyptian oranges, which were originally intended for the Asian market. All these volumes ended up on the European market while consumption remained normal, which destabilized the market. Sales were slow, which further unbalanced the market."

Lemon quality impacted
The lemon market could have been better as well if the weather had been more favorable. "The lack of water and the winds in Spain have caused damage in the orchards and impacted the quality, with products changing very quickly. The campaign has been rather mediocre, with many orchards in Spain not harvested at all due to the lack of demand and profitability. Sales prices have dropped by 20-30% since last year. Many factors are responsible for this sharp decrease, including the fragility of the product, the very slow sales rates and persistently high retail prices."

Good days ahead for pomelos
For their part, pomelos seem to be escaping these difficulties. "For now, the demand is timid, with fairly high prices, and price levels are similar to last year. But with the arrival of spring, consumption should intensify thanks to higher sugar levels and improved quality, as well as diminishing supply. Additionally, diets tend to be popular in the spring, which means that pomelos should be getting good press and enjoying bright days in the near future."