As the European citrus season draws to a close, deliveries from the Southern Hemisphere, led by South Africa, are gradually increasing. Grapefruit and easy peelers are already available, and the first overseas oranges will soon be shipped. The cold treatment that has been required for several years is now well under control in the South African citrus industry, observes Thies Claußen, QM manager at Global Fruit Point GmbH. "At least we are not noticing any significant losses in quality or quantity. However, this must also be seen in the context of the increase in acreage and volume in South African citrus cultivation, which has also been confirmed with concrete figures by the umbrella organization Citrus Grower's Association (CGA). This naturally helps the sector to compensate for any losses incurred as a result of cold treatment and to stabilize export volumes at a high level."
To protect the citrus fruits, a thicker wax coating or wrapping is used to promote the necessary protective mechanism. This also makes the fruit less sensitive when it undergoes the required cold treatment.
Discrepancy between market requirements and post-harvest treatment
In addition to cold treatment, citrus fruits also undergo post-harvest treatment to combat fungi and bacteria. To prevent unnecessary resistance from developing, the agents used must be varied accordingly. In addition, a certain minimum concentration must be observed, especially for the fungicide imazalil, to ensure that the treatment is actually effective. Claußen: "However, we have the problem that the criteria of the German food retail industry regarding the use of fungicides are lower than the concentration we require from a purely mathematical and scientific perspective. We are therefore in a quandary: either we use the concentration prescribed by the food retail industry with the long-term risk of resistance developing, or we work sustainably and prevent resistance from developing, but in doing so we do not meet the requirements of the food retail industry. I would like to emphasize at this point that although this is a gradual process, I see massive challenges ahead of us in two to three years."
Valencia oranges from South Africa. Global Fruit Point GmbH, based in Buxtehude and Rotterdam, offers its customers South African citrus fruits until autumn.
Valencia and Orri gain in importance
Within the individual product categories, interesting variety trends are emerging, Claußen continues. "In the case of oranges, the Valencia varieties, including the Midknight and Delta Seedless hybrids, are now being grown disproportionately, while Navel is tending to decline. According to forecasts, this trend will continue in the coming years. On the one hand, this is understandable, as Valencia oranges have better storage and transport properties than Navel oranges. On the other hand, Navel oranges are very popular with many consumers due to their lower acidity and milder taste. Another factor that also plays a role is that Navel oranges are mainly grown in the early growing region of the Western Cape. In the most important citrus growing region in northern South Africa, Valencia varieties are predominantly grown anyway."
Easy Peelers
Similar variety trends can be observed in the clementine and mandarin segments. "The Orri mandarin has also become firmly established in South Africa in recent years. Although Orri is also an easy peeler, it is comparatively much more stable than conventional varieties. With classic clementines, there is often the problem that the skin is too loose, which in turn affects the taste and also contributes to higher perishability. In this respect, Orri is a good compromise, combining both characteristics," concludes Claußen.
For more information:
Thies Claußen
Head of Quality Management
Global Fruit Point GmbH
Bahnhofstraße 45
D-21614 Buxtehude
Tel: +49 4161 74888-31
[email protected]
www.frupo.de