The second part of the Spanish citrus campaign has been affected by constant rainfall in almost all producing areas. The impact is especially severe in Andalusia due to the storms and floods that have been recorded there for more than a month. The sector remains uncertain about the degree to which the quality of Andalusian fruit will be affected and how marketing will develop after these events.
© Catman Fresh
Protected Queen mandarin.
"It has been raining intermittently in almost all of Spain since December, occasionally preventing the harvesting, but the latest storms in Andalusia, one of the country's major citrus-producing areas, have been really severe," says Sergio Oroval, manager of the Alicante-based company Catman Fresh. "Fortunately, this year we haven't bought much fruit from Andalusia, and we are mainly sourcing from the Valencian Community, Murcia, and a little from northern Almeria."
"Now, we have to see what the impact of these storms will be on the quality, for example, of Tango and Nadorcott mandarins, which are currently in season. If the rains have taken a toll on the quality of between 5% and 10% of mandarins in other producing areas, in Andalusia the percentage will be much higher," says Sergio Orobal.
© Catman Fresh
Protected Queen mandarin.
"There are many companies that have bought large quantities of mandarins in Andalusia at high prices. Due to the likelihood of quality being greatly affected and the fruit not being suitable for storage so that it can be marketed until April, there might be attempts to sell quickly, which would have negative consequences in the markets," he says. "There are several possible scenarios, but we still don't know what will happen."
According to Sergio, prices at the source have continued to rise in the second part of the campaign, making the marketing more difficult, despite the good demand. "We are also feeling the presence of Moroccan Nadorcott, although the pressure is lower this year because they have also suffered the impact of adverse weather in that country," he says.
© Catman Fresh
Protected Queen mandarin.
The manager of Catman Fresh also highlights the rise in the demand for Queen mandarins, for which the company holds the production rights. "We have about three weeks left of the Queen mandarin campaign, and this is the variety that is giving us the best results. Demand has been growing gradually over the last five years, and we have seen a remarkable spike in interest this campaign, not only from the market, but also from other companies that want to plant it."
"It is a very productive variety that suffers very few problems in the field and warehouse, resulting in low discard rates. Its fruit is large-sized, seedless, with good flavor and color, and easy to peel. In the British retail market, where it also arrives from South Africa, it is sold in the premium segment. Moreover, it has also been successfully introduced in the domestic market. If we had more supply, we would sell it immediately," says Sergio.
© Catman Fresh
Protected Queen mandarin.
As for oranges, the company is currently finishing with the Lane Late and will soon start with the Navel Powel. "Only the large sizes (1, 2, and 3) reach acceptable market prices, while the smaller sizes are sold at very low prices. The prices of juicing oranges, such as the Salustiana, are more stable and generally acceptable. Also worthy of note this year is the increase in sales of pigmented varieties, like the Cara Cara, Valencia Ruby, or Kirkwood, in our case."
For more information:
Sergio Orobal
Catman Fresh
Camino de Iryda, s/n
03190 Pilar de la Horadada, Alicante. Spain
Tel.: +34 966 747 902
[email protected]
www.catmanfresh.com
