The general secretary for Agriculture and Food, Judit Anda, met on Wednesday in Huelva with representatives from Andalusia's citrus sector to inform them about the citrus production estimates for the 2012/2013 campaign. Within this framework, Anda highlighted "the recovery of Andalusian citrus productivity" and told those in attendance that production this year is expected to surpass 1.6 million tonnes, which is 4.2% more than last year and 8.5% more than the average from the past four campaigns.
In the words of the general secretary, this increase has to do with the fact that last year's production was smaller, but also to the introduction of new plantations, as production has not really increased in the current ones.
Production for the 2012/2013 campaign has been marked by problems in the flowering process, which added to the high summer temperatures has meant a reduction in fruit volumes. Luckily, this has been countered by the progressive entrance into full production of several new plantations.
Huelva: the largest producer
According to the first citrus estimates for the 2012/2013 campaign, Huelva will be the top province in terms of production, with over 486,000 tonnes (5.7% more). This figure represents 29% of the production in the whole of Andalusia and a 5.7% rise compared to last year. Close behind is Seville, with more than 483,000 tonnes, which is 5.4% less than last season. Together, these two provinces account for 57% of the entire Andalusian production.
Córdoba can be found, as in recent seasons, in third place with more than 257,000 tonnes and has registered the fastest growth, increasing production by 48.2% this year. According to predictions, Almeria will produce around 215,000 tonnes (4.4% less), Malaga exceeds 163,000 tonnes (-8%), Granada stands at 9,500 tonnes (-23.1%) and Cadiz has more than 68,000 tonnes (+20.7%).
Data by varieties
According to data from the production estimates for the current campaign, 74% of the total of citrus expected to be produced in Andalusia corresponds to sweet oranges, 18% to mandarins and 6% to lemons. The remaining 2% includes bitter oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits.
The production of sweet oranges is noteworthy, with over 1,242,000 tonnes. This increase could make it possible to reach record production levels this campaign.
Data by sector
Andalusia is Spain's second largest citrus fruit producer, with more than 75,000 hectares, from which a third are plantations less than 10 years old.
The citrus sector in Andalusia is famous for its innovative character and continuous adaptation to the market, but also for its exports, which reached a value of 140 million Euro last year.
Source: Andaluciainformacion