Last week's rains have hindered the harvesting and marketing activities in the Spanish citrus sector. The delay in the harvest in Andalusia has also caused it to overlap with the start of the season in Valencia. So far, it has not been cold enough in Europe to stimulate demand, so the start of the campaign has been slow and with few sales.
"The orange harvest is a little delayed in Seville this year. In addition, we are having some setbacks due to the strikes in France and the rains, which have interrupted the harvest some days. However, it seems that the campaign is now recovering its usual rhythm. So far, few buyers have come to Andalusia to buy citrus. There was much more movement on the same dates in other years. Prices have also started lower than in other years," stated Maria Pilar Palma, the manager of Agricultura Extraterrestre. "The temperatures are already declining and we are confident that this may awaken the demand for orange. In addition, our German customers are delighted with this year's orange harvest," she added.
Located in Brenes, in Seville, Agricultura Extraterrestre produces and sells orange from October to May, early stone fruits during May and June, and organic sweet potato throughout the year. According to María Pilar Palma, "most of our production is organic. Some farms are still in the process of conversion and we market them under a '0 Residue' label. Ten to fifteen years ago, many people thought that organic farming was a passing fad, but now we are realizing that it is here to stay and that it will keep growing. Consumers are increasingly aware of health and environment issues. It's paradoxical that people bet on eating fruit because they think it is a natural and healthy product, when it is full of toxic and chemical residues."
"Obviously, the productivity of organic farming is lower than that of conventional farming, as it doesn't use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. That's why organic fruit sales prices have to be at least 30% higher than the prices of conventional products," she added.
The Sevillian company is committed to defending its La Extraterrestre brand. "Our brand has a high quality and presentation, that's why we do not focus on wholesale markets. Our oranges are present in the main markets of Germany."
Agricultura Extraterrestre started to work organic sweet potato a couple of years ago, as they already had facilities to pack potatoes and a long family experience in their cultivation. "Unlike stone fruit or citrus fruits, sweet potato allows us to be more flexible at the time of sale, due to its longer shelf life. Our goal is to supply sweet potato to our customers throughout the whole year, guaranteeing continuity. We sell sweet potatoes to wholesale markets and supermarket chains in the United Kingdom, France, and other European countries," concluded Maria Pilar.
For more information:
María Pilar Palma Martínez
Agricultura Extraterrestre
M: +34 677731407
ppalma@laextraterrestre.com