The first part of the Spanish orange and mandarin campaign is already coming to a close and the transition to the second part, when different varieties will be marketed, is underway. The demand for Navelina oranges was affected by high prices and low quality, while clementines and mandarins have fared well.
"We are now supplying the last Navelinas and starting with the first Navels, a variety that some customers prefer to skip and start directly with the Lane Late from mid-January," says Miguel Agustín, commercial director of Nostra Fruita and La Nostra Valencia.
"Although it is true that volumes have been much lower this year, we have not run out of product. Sales started very strong at the end of October and the first weeks of November, as the supply of oranges from the southern hemisphere finished a little earlier and the Spanish harvest, with significantly lower production, was delayed," says Miguel Agustín.
"However, from November 20 and until the second week of December, sales fell due to lack of quality and high prices, which stood between 20 and 25% above those of the past campaign. More claims have been issued this campaign, as the fruit had an unattractive pointed shape, both in Andalusia and, to a lesser extent, in the Region of Valencia," says the citrus trading specialist. "The drop in the demand for Navelinas has extended their supply period until now," he adds.
Nostra Fruita and La Nostra Valencia supply supermarket chains, market wholesalers and distribution warehouses, horeca companies and collectivities, juice machines and other sector specialists across the country, while around 10% of their sales are intended for export.
As for mandarins, Miguel Agustín is satisfied with the Satsuma campaign, which ended this week. "We are happy with the Satsuma season, which we handle hand in hand with specialist suppliers. It is a product for very specific channels and clients and, therefore, if the supply grew, it would be hard to sell it."
The demand for clementines has remained high compared to oranges, despite they so far being more expensive this year. "We still have some Clemenules, whose volumes have ended up being higher than expected. There was a quality production and good yields at the beginning, although higher than usual temperatures during November and December have resulted in many batches of fruit being too soft. That fruit has ended up marketed as second class or supplied directly to the processing industry," says Miguel Agustín.
"We have been harvesting Clemenvilla for about two weeks and the quality is very good, although compared to last year, there is not such a high demand, as there is still Clemenules in the markets," said the operator. "This has made it difficult to sell them, given the high prices that were paid at origin until over a month ago. However, the transition from the Clemenules to the Clemenvilla is expected to be completed next week."
"We will also soon start with the Leanri, a variety that, in some way, is a successor of the Clemenvilla, as it has similar attributes, and we have been betting on it for 3 campaigns," says Miguel Austín. Although it took a little while to introduce it at the beginning, it is now yielding very good results thanks to its taste quality and good calibers. For other types of clients, we also work with the Sando variety, which is very easy to peel and whose characteristics are more alike those of the Clemenules. This year we are again expanding the volumes of both Leanri and Sando."
"We expect a good harvest of the Tango and Nadorcott varieties, as well as of the Orri, although small and medium calibers will predominate," says the commercial director of Nostra Fruita and La Nostra Valencia.
For more information:
Miguel Agustín
Nostra Fruita SL
M: +34 615 22 57 31
[email protected]