The supply of Spanish citrus has not been as smooth as desired this season. Nevertheless, according to Henk Vlaeminck of Van Dijk Foods, there are no real shortages. "Supply is a bit more difficult, but there is sufficient volume. It is not that the market is empty. Only in terms of quality, it all leaves something to be desired."
The severe weather in Spain has left its mark. "In terms of quality, it all leaves something to be desired," the trader explains. "You can see that in the product. From Spain, we are currently working with Tango Gold, Nadorcott, and various easypeelers. We also have some Sanguinelli and, in the juice segment, Salustiana. There is plenty of everything, but people are mainly looking for quality."
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Other origins jump in
If volumes are lower, these are quickly supplemented by other origins in 2026. "The world has become small. Shortages are filled quickly these days. For instance, there is additional supply from Morocco, Egypt, and Turkey. Egypt has started with Valencia, and Morocco is coming with Nour clementines. There is a product, but the level is variable."
Due to this tighter supply, prices are slightly higher. According to Henk, this affects consumption. "You can only spend your euro once. More expensive fruit often results in lower sales. Those are the rules of the market. On top of that, spring is approaching, and the shelf is expanding. New products will be added. Perhaps consumers are also a bit tired of citrus and will look for something else. And if they opt for familiar products, grapes are an obvious competitor. You eat those more easily, especially if they are of better quality. All this makes it 'either' instead of 'and' when buying fruit."
Demand for grapes remains
Speaking of grapes, that segment is performing well for the Flemish importer. "A few weeks ago, it slowed down somewhat, mainly due to a limited supply of Autumncrisp from Peru. That started to have an impact. In the meantime, however, we have sufficient volumes again, including nice large sizes, and that is selling very well. So the demand is definitely there."
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On the market, Henk sees clear price differences between origins. "We are not a reference point, because we do not work with South Africa, but if you compare South African supply with that of Peru, South Africa is relatively low in price." He says recent arrivals underline that. "What we have received this week is impressive in size—really big fruit. A two-euro coin is actually small compared to what we are seeing now. Like plums, but that is what you pay for. We are around five euros per kilo. You can see that consumers are willing to pay for quality, even though the price difference with, for example, South Africa is obvious, which is around two euros per kilo."
"It has been difficult for a while, but now there is sufficient supply again," he continues. "Supply and demand are nicely balanced. There is no shortage, but no surplus either. In fact, it is an ideal situation at the moment." For the period ahead, Henk expects few major fluctuations. "It remains coffee-gazing, but as long as the quality in terms of taste and appearance remains good, I think prices, especially for Peru, will remain stable."
For more information:
Henk Vlaeminck
Van Dijk Foods
Kempenarestraat 50
2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Tel: +32 15 55 65 61
[email protected]
www.vandijkfoods.be
