The first US bound ship, loaded with citrus, departed from Castellon on Monday 24 October, with 1,900 tonnes on board.
The deputy of the Government in Castellon, David Barelles, and the president of the Port Authority, Francisco Toledo, visited the facilities of FRICASA, which handles the storage, cooling, inspection and control of the citrus exports to the US.
Barelles, who exchanged views with the nine Castellon-based entrepreneurs involved in the campaign, highlighted "the significant effort and work done, despite the conditions imposed by the US."
The sector, he added, "will remain open to the overseas market in an increasingly globalised and highly competitive world."
According to sources from the Government delegation, more than 80% of Valencia's fruit exports to North America leave from the Port of Castellon and 56% of the fruit exported is grown in the province of Castellon.
Although prospects this year "are very good, predicting an outcome would be risky, as this sector relies on conditions such as the weather, which can directly affect both the production and the calibres," stated Barelles.
For the current campaign, a total of nine ships are expected to depart from the Port of Castellon to the United States; a figure that could still increase, depending on the demand.
Source: EFE
