In recent weeks, the presence of the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata has become a bigger problem in the main citrus producing areas of the Region of Valencia due to the persistent warm temperatures, which facilitate the proliferation of this pest and are causing unforeseen financial losses.
The most affected citrus fruits are early mandarins and clementines, such as the Oronules variety, although it is also starting to affect the Clemenules, the Region of Valencia's most representative variety in terms of production volume, and whose harvest has already kicked off. Navelina oranges are also hit, although to a lesser extent.
"The campaign started with optimism for the sector with the sales of the first clementines and mandarins, since prices have been higher due to the lower supply this year. However, as the weeks have passed, temperatures have not dropped and the presence of fruit flies in the fields has increased, causing serious quality problems and greater losses, forcing us to make a greater effort in the sorting in the packing plants," says a Valencian producer and exporter.
"The number of complaints at destination has skyrocketed and this is causing a lot of unrest in the markets, as customers expect good quality fruit, given the high prices this year. Now, with the arrival of the Clemenules, which is a better variety than those harvested so far, we had expected the situation to improve, but it's still the same, or even worse, which is unusual for this variety," he said. "Due to the persistence of the heat, the fruit's degreening is also less effective and the color of the skin of the clementines is less homogeneous, with more green tones that make it less attractive to the eye."
"The costs borne by producers are skyrocketing, as are those of the companies, which are already suffocated by the prices of energy and raw materials. And to top it off, less of the fruit can be marketed. Flies are causing the percentage of rotten oranges and mandarins to be four or even up to five times higher than usual," said José Pascual Ramos, manager of the cooperative San Alfonso de Betxí, in the province of Catellón, to the newspaper El Periódico Mediterráneo.
In recent weeks, it has been necessary to apply more treatments in the field with the aim of eradicating a problem that seemed solved already.