The first estimates made ahead of the start of the 2023-2024 campaign by producer organizations such as the Unión de Uniones in different areas of Spain point to a slight drop in the volumes compared to the previous season, when they were already at their lowest in the last 7 years. Last winter's adverse weather conditions and the high temperatures and lack of rainfall in spring and summer are the main causes. The drought will again play a decisive role in Andalusia this year and will have a particular impact on the national volume of oranges.
In this context, product purchase operations at origin prior to the start of the harvest started at a higher pace than usual, especially for oranges. Meanwhile, over the last two weeks, and at a slower pace, marketing companies have also started with the purchase of mandarins.
According to some traders, the forecast of an even smaller supply than in the previous season is causing the starting prices offered by producers to be higher than at this same time last year.
Data from the Lonja de Cítricos de Valencia show how purchase operations have started earlier compared to the previous year. In the case of Satsuma type mandarins, like the Okitsu and Owari, there are already reports of average prices standing at 0.32 and 0.27 Euro per kilo, respectively, about 5 cents more compared to the first week of September 2022.
Also noteworthy are the early operations in mid-season varieties and the difference in prices compared to the previous year, especially in the case of the Oronules, which are being purchased for an average of 0.58 Euro, compared to 0.43 Euro at the beginning of September 2022. Early Navelina orange prices also show a slight increase this year, and transactions are already underway for the Navel.