"This year, 90% of our oranges will come from Andalusia"

The quality of oranges in Valencia has been severely affected this year by the high temperatures and drought recorded in autumn. The weather conditions have also facilitated the entry of new pests, such as orchid thrips, which have had an impact on the volume of fruit suitable for fresh marketing. That is why export companies such as Frutas Morel have decided to buy their fruit almost entirely from Andalusia. "This campaign, about 90% of our fruit will come from Andalusia, since up to 70% of the oranges are being discarded in Valencia," explains Vicente Morell, manager of Frutas Morell.

"It is increasingly difficult to maintain high quality standards. Valencian citriculture is organised in small holdings, and given the increasingly large threat of pests, it is becoming more complicated to find a uniform quality. We are buying more and more oranges from Andalusia and clementines from Castellon, since they are organised in larger farms and that makes it easier to guarantee certain quality and optimal waste standards throughout the campaign."

According to the exporter, there is an increasing presence of pests and fewer authorised treatments to tackle them. "This year there has been a third generation of red scale in Valencia and Andalusia, and ceratitis is starting to become a big problem for extra-early varieties."

Based in Sueca, this Valencian company is in its third generation since it began its journey in 1940 with the Cordero brand. Frutas Morell distributes its citrus fruits only to wholesale markets, where brands play an important role and where it can stand out in terms of quality and prices. For Vicente Morell, the main requirement, above any other factor, when buying oranges and mandarins is the fruit's taste. "First we taste the fruit, and if it's good, we proceed with the handling. We want consumers to come back for more; there is a lot at stake when you focus your work on building a brand and its reputation in the market. There is no room for mistakes."

Vicente starts the campaign with Navelina oranges and continues with Navel Foyos, Navel Late and Barberina. "As a general rule, we don't usually start before November, because we don't believe that the quality is yet up to the desired standard. I always tell my customers that "in early October, I cannot give you oranges, but lemons!" jokes Vicente Morell.

"The same applies to the clementines. We don't market them before November, so we start working directly with the Clemenules. Varieties such as Clemenrubi or Oronules are very expensive at origin and must be sold at very high prices, with the risk that the quality is not always as good as expected. Today the world is very globalised and when Spain starts shipping extra early mandarins like the Okitsu and Iwasaki, it increasingly has to deal with the presence of late mandarins from the southern hemisphere, such as the Tango, with which they cannot compete in terms of quality," continues the exporter . "This year we are going to also market Tango mandarins for the first time."

Hans Tabak, of Dutch Green, exclusive distributor of the Cordero brand in the Netherlands, is satisfied with the results of this strategy. "We wait as long as necessary until Vicente tells us that he can supply us oranges and clementines with the right calibre and quality and, above all, with a good taste," says the importer. In Belgium, the Cordero brand is also distributed exclusively through the Van Lier importer. "My goal is to continue growing only with clients who know how to appreciate the work we do and are willing to pay for our goods based on their quality, as Hans Tabak or Van Lier do," adds Vicente Morell.

Ahead of the second part of the campaign, the sector fears that the frosts recorded early in the month, with temperatures as low as -5°C in both the Region of Valencia and in the south of Andalusia, may affect the quality of the late varieties, such as the Navel Late or Valencia Late. "We will have to be very careful to make sure we supply a good product," states Vicente Morell.

For more information
Vicente Morell
Frutas Morell SL
M: +34 660470716
frutasmorellsa@gmail.com