Spain: The volume of citrus production will fall by 20% in Andalusia

According to Jesus Limón, president of Mogalla SAT, citrus production in Andalusia, where they have their holdings located, will decrease by approximately 20% compared to last year.

 

Mogalla SAT have their citrus storage in Cartaya, Huelva, with farms in Cartaya, Benacazón (Sevilla) and Lora del Río (Sevilla) and work with all kinds of oranges, clementines and tangerines.

 

Recently they have added two new varieties of mandarin in their assortment, Safor and Garbí, obtained thanks to the Institute of Agricultural Research of Valencia.

 

"The price of early varieties (Okitsu, which is satsuma, and Clemenrubi and Oronules), which we have already begun to market, is similar to that of last year, although sales are flowing," says Jesus.

Jesus speaks about the quality of the fruit in southern Spain. "The quality of the fruit in ​Andalusia is overall good, except for some parcels that are suffering from "coarseness" in the fruit, which seems to be more common in the eastern region, with clemenules deformities."

However, this year, the Spanish citrus has been affected by the lack of rain and previous weather adversities. "All our farms use irrigation, but the lack of rain is evident. The fruit is delayed this year, possibly by late blooms and the frost the trees suffered last year, as well as heat stroke in the month of May."

 

The exporter said that competition from Morocco hurts them, "because the market becomes fragile when there are imports from Morocco imports," he says.

There are rumours that the crisis is prompting consumers to buy second rate citrus, to which Jesus answers, "the crisis rather leads consumers to buy first class citrus for the price of second rate citrus."

Mogalla packs in nets and bulk. All in cardboard boxes and wood ifco and euro pool crates.