The Spanish trade association AILIMPO estimates the grapefruit harvest of the 2019/2020 season at 60,740 tons. This means that the supply of this fruit will be considerably reduced this year (by 26% compared to the previous season), which is a consequence of the weather conditions.
This smaller harvest entails that the sector is optimistic about the new season. The prospect is that Europe's overall supply will fall, causing Spanish grapefruit prices to increase from the very start of the export period.
The Spanish season is starting in October with a supply consisting mostly of large sizes. In the meantime, the Mexican season is coming to an end. This time, the season will be shorter than usual and will end in March.
Figures for the 2018/2019 season
In the 2018/2019 season, which has already ended, the Spanish grapefruit harvest stood at 82,082 tons. The most important export destinations were Germany and France. These markets accounted for 54% of foreign sales, with more than 30,000 tons. A small quantity (2,828 tons) was exported to third countries. Also, a lot of effort has been put into opening and growing step-by-step in markets such as Switzerland, South Africa and Canada. Sales on the domestic market amounted to around 7,000 tons. Another 11,700 tons were intended for the processing sector.
| BALANCE 2018/2019 CAMPAIGN | GRAPEFRUIT (tons) |
| Exports | 54,295 |
| Domestic market | 7,000 |
| Discards | 3,352 |
| Industry | 11,700 |
| TOTAL | 82,082 |
For more information: www.ailimpo.com