The market has already stabilised. "Not all areas of Spain were affected by the bad weather; southern areas, like Seville, for example, have been spared," affirms Fermín Sánchez Navarro, manager of Gruventa. "What is now going on is the biggest selection of "extra quality" product for overseas exports," says Sánchez. In any case, Gruventa assures us that the quality of Spanish products is still good and that there is no cause for concern.
The main citrus market for Gruventa is Europe, although at the moment they are also receiving requests from other countries, like Canada, the US, the United Arab Emirates and China. Regarding the latter, they explain that "the procedures are tedious the first time they have to be carried out. It takes many documents, many controls and product inspections, you need to consider the means of transport, etc., but once all of this has been left behind, it becomes a country like any other. As a complement to the European market, China is a good market," states Sánchez.
As for the main competitors for Spanish citrus companies in foreign markets, the most noteworthy are Turkey and South Africa, whose labour is much cheaper than in countries of the European Union, making "impossible it to compete against their final prices," affirms Sánchez. There is also Argentina, which in about 20 days will start exporting its lemons, and which will join that list of competitors.
For more information:
Fermín Sánchez Navarro
Gruventa
Tel. +34 968 102 100
