Last week, Spain and China signed two trade agreements that will allow the export of kakis and almonds to the Asian country, as reported by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA).
The signing took place within the framework of the visit of Spanish president Pedro Sánchez to China and it will allow Spanish companies to ship kakis to China.
This good news has been possible thanks to the collaboration between all kaki producing areas in Spain and the most representative marketing entities (mainly Asociafruit, the Spanish Kaki Association, the cooperative Anecoop and the Regulatory Council of the PDO Kaki de la Ribera del Xúquer), as well as the work carried out since 2018 by the ministries, which involved the preparation of reports and documentation to be sent to the Chinese authorities.
Bilateral mission of the Region of Valencia with Tianjin, China, on November 23, 2018.
"The opening of the Chinese market could be a turning point for Spanish kakis," said Juan Carlos Martínez, manager of the Valencian company The Natural Hand, a producer and marketer of kakis specialized in faraway destinations and the largest exporter of this fruit to Hong Kong and Singapore.
"There is a lot of interest in Rojo Brillante kakis in China, and Spain is the only country producing this variety and able to deliver significant quantities at this time, which puts us in a very advantageous and interesting position," said Juan Carlos Martinez. "Some Chinese distributors have had the chance to become familiar with Spanish kakis in the markets of Hong Kong and Singapore and have no doubt that they will be a success in China, where purchasing power has grown significantly in recent years and where kakis have become quite popular."
Juan Carlos Martínez, manager of The Natural Hand.
Some last details have yet to be finalized before kaki exports can begin, such as registering the farms and defining the cold treatments to be carried out prior to the fruit's shipments, which will have a duration of between 30 and 36 days.
"China is going to be a market where only the highest quality can be shipped, which could be highly rewarded with good prices," said Pascual Prats, president of the Spanish Kaki Association. "It will not be an easy market due to the long transit time compared to European destinations, but the Rojo Brillante kaki can become a very exclusive product in a country that produces more than 3,000 million kilos of kakis and only imports the fruit from two origins."
"The opening of China will help prevent a collapse of the European markets during the period of higher production and allow prices to remain stable," said Pascual Prats, who said that, in spite of this all, Europe will remain our largest market because of its proximity."
The latest kaki season in Spain ended with a reduction of around 70% in the supply due to the impact of adverse weather conditions and pests, and with very high prices that were not enough in most cases to cover the high production costs. While it is still a bit early to confirm it, a good production volume is expected this season, according to the president of the Spanish Kaki Association.
According to the data published by the MAPA in the "Survey on acreage and crop yields" for the year 2021 (the latest one published), Spain has a total of 16,683 hectares devoted to kaki cultivation, most of them in the Region of Valencia."
For more information:
Pascual Prats
Asociación Española del Kaki
Calle Isabel la Católica, 6 - Pta. 9 y 10
46004 Valencia, Spain
T: (+34) 902 920 515
[email protected]
www.aekaki.es
For more information:
Juan Carlos Martínez
The Natural Hand
Hort de Calafre, 6
46470 Albal, Valencia. Spain
T: +34960046320
[email protected]
www.thenaturalhand.com