This year, the first truck of Maltaise oranges from Tunisia arrived at Rungis on January 12th. Mourad Ben Salem, manager of Med’Essor, has been importing this juicing orange to Paris for 15 years. He has been selling it under the brand Med’Essor since 2007.
“The variety is becoming more and more established on the market over the years. There is a relatively significant lack of juicing oranges on the market, in Spain where the weather conditions have not been favorable in the past two years, in Morocco, but also in Italy where the demand is very high on the domestic market. This gives it a significant advantage, so we are hoping to have a nice season.”
A year characterized by small calibers and a nice quality
In addition to enjoying an interesting position on the market, the production of Maltaise oranges from Tunisia also took place in ideal conditions this year. “The climate was favorable and everything went well. We are expecting an increase of the harvested volumes by 20% compared to last year. This year will also be characterized by a larger proportion of small calibers, but a very good quality, both visually with a beautiful color and in terms of taste with high sugar levels. Furthermore, the production problems related to black spots from two years ago are no longer an issue. The threat has been completely eliminated.”
Prices are likely to drop in the coming days
Prices started high but a decrease is expected this week in order to keep up a good consumption level. “The introduction of the product went very well and very smoothly, given the low volumes. Consumers did not hesitate to buy Maltaise oranges despite the high prices. But after these first sales, we observed a slight decrease in the demand. Sales remain present but are less dynamic than when the product was first introduced. We therefore decided to lower the price in order to maintain a fluid consumption.”
“Tunisia has been in lockdown since January 14th, which slowed down the production rhythm slightly, allowing us to reach a certain balance between the offer and the demand.”
Med’Essor will have Maltaise oranges from Tunisia available until mid-April.
For more information:
Mourad Ben Salem
Med’Essor
Rue de Carpentras CP90295
94592 Rungis Cedex
Phone: +33 1 41 80 64 60
Mobile: +33 6 73 35 37 41
[email protected]