The province of Castellón produces approximately 666,300 tonnes of citrus, of which 563,900 are mandarins, 100,500 oranges and 1,700 lemons. The clemenules is the most produced mandarin variety, with 450,000 tonnes, so it can certainly be said that this variety has quite some weight in the economy of the province.
The recession has drastically reduced consumption and Castellón is the province suffering the biggest decline in Spain, which is a consequence of the complete lack of profitability of the citrus sector. One should keep in mind that the population living in towns where the economy revolves primarily or in a high percentage around the cultivation of this crop reaches 75%.
The decline in VAT revenue is a clear indication of the collateral effects caused by the recession, but not the only one. Diesel B, the fuel used by tractors, atomisers, irrigation engines, etc., has seen a 40% drop in consumption. The value of citrus crop fields is now very low and the land sale market is practically non-existent, with the great majority of cooperatives going into liquidation.
These indicators are all very clear and suggest that appropriate measures ought to be taken to ensure that balance in the agrifood chain becomes a fact and not just mere words.