The Spanish citrus season has kicked off with the early Satsuma mandarin harvest and, so far, prospects are better than in the previous year, both in terms of price and quality.
"We start working in early September with the Satsuma Okitsu for the domestic market, which is well used to consuming this product. Ten days later we start exporting," explains Manuel Barber, of the commercial department of Barber & Caballero.
"Satsuma mandarins are popular in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands, although demand for them stops immediately after the arrival of the first clementines, except in countries that traditionally consume Satsumas."
According to the exporter, sales are going smoothly and average prices remain acceptable, with increasing consumption of citrus in Europe coinciding with the arrival of the cold. "In addition to having a lower production this year due to adverse weather conditions, the supply of mandarins from the southern hemisphere is currently dwindling, which gives us more room to sell."
Moreover, Manuel Barber points out that citrus fruit sales in the southern hemisphere have remained strong and stable throughout the campaign, have "helped us start our campaign on a better footing."
"We expect a good campaign in terms of prices because of the lower production volume. Our company has started early with the purchases at origin to be able to continuously supply our quality brands, although there is still a lot of competition in this sector and we have to adjust our margins," he says.
Based in Algemesà and Tous, Valencia, Barber & Caballero specialises in the production and marketing of mandarins and oranges, but also works with summer fruit, moving a total of 12 million kilos per year.
"We work for wholesale markets, greengrocers and supermarket chains. This year we may begin working directly with a supermarket program, although it is very difficult because you have to set a price for six months, without being able to take into account the constant oscillation of prices in all varieties throughout the season," explains Manuel. "We have seen that whenever fruit is expensive at origin, quality at supermarkets tends to be lower, and when the fruit is available for low prices at origin you can find better quality fruit at the points of sale."
Under the PilarÃn brand, the Valencian company devotes most of its production for export, mainly to Europe, arriving to destinations as distant as Kazakhstan. "We also used to export to Ukraine, but with the fall in the value of the hryvnia we were losing with the exchange rate," recalls Manuel Barber.
For more information:
Manuel Barber
Barber & Cabeallero
Partida de la Garrofera de Alzira, s/n
La Garrofera de Alzira
46268, Valencia. Spain
T:+34 962 443 795
M:+34 655907452
comercial@barbercaballero.com
www.barbercaballero.com