Clemenules account for just over half of the citrus fruits produced in Castellón and for seven out of every ten clementines produced in the province. In terms of prices, however, Clemenules lag far behind other varieties with lower production volumes, such as hybrid mandarins, whose prices were double those of Clemenules last year.
During the last campaign, the average price of the Clemenules stood at 0.40 euro. In contrast, the premium varieties such as Tango, Nadorcott, Leanri, and Orri achieved average prices of 0.80 euro; the Orri even reached 1.5 euro per kilo in the field.
"All these hybrid varieties, which could include the Sando clementine, regularly exceed 0.80 euro," stated Carles Peris, secretary general of the Llauradora i Ramadera Union, defending the need to order citrus cultivation and plant varieties to stretch the campaign, both during the weeks before and after the Clemenules harvest.
According to experts, the future of citrus farming in Castellón requires going through a varietal reconversion; a reality that clashes with a productive structure based mainly on smallholdings and with investments that can cost up to 24,000 euro per hectare for these premium varieties. "Investing all that amount of money is unfeasible for the owner of a small farm who is not professionally engaged in citrus farming," according to the sources consulted, who called for a conversion plan and an agronomic map to help make decisions about the varieties to be planted.
Source: elperiodicomediterraneo.com
