Since this week, the new clementine season has started at Euro Gijbels' Catalan site in Mont-Roig. Harvesting the first Orogros clementines kicks off a new season, in which, according to John Gijbels, there is a lot of early demand for the Spanish citrus. "Although South Africa is still on the market, we are noticing that there is already a lot of interest in the Spanish product."
High prices
Orogros is not the earliest variety among clementines, but the company deliberately skips the earlier varieties, such as clemenrubi. "We know that the market becomes interesting only when Orogros are ready to be picked. Then, the market is really only ready for Spanish clementines. We see this again this year, because despite the prices being very high, there is a lot of interest. Right now, prices are above last year's level, but it doesn't deter people."
Several factors are causing this, John explains: "There are several reasons for this. On the one hand, costs for growers remain so high that prices simply have to be high as well. On the other hand, demand indeed exceeds the supply at the moment. I think in terms of yields, we are at similar volumes to other years. However, it is also not excessive, which with so much demand creates tension in the market. I hope growers and traders will just hang in there."
Stef Minten of Euro Gijbels. He is taking over more and more of John's sales activities.
Schooling customers
Among the early varieties, the trader does see an increasing need to school his customers about the coloring of the clementines. "One always expects an orange clementine, but it is still so warm these days that the citrus cannot color well. To give an example; last week it was still 30 degrees here. Because of the continued heat, the trees have not had enough stress. This is necessary for the fruit to change color. And the main factor for stress is when there is a big difference in temperature between day and night. Due to climate change, this no longer happens, so the fruit will simply stay a little greener now."
"That is a new reality which is inescapable. Nor is it negative, because it is absolutely not detrimental to the fruit's quality. On the contrary, a little 'green' is perfect for taste," John continued. "It's just that it has an impact on sales. Aesthetically, consumers expect a bright orange clementine. Spots of green make the fruit seem unripe. It's a problem we will always experience in the first few weeks of the season from now on. The early varieties will always be greener, so it is up to us to make everyone understand that this does not detract from the quality of the citrus, which, on the contrary, is extremely positive for next season." After the Orogros, the company will switch to the Oronules in November.
Water use hot topic
It does not mean, by the way, that there aren't any challenges within cultivation. Costs continue to hang over growers' heads like a sword of Damocles, but water use is also a hot issue. "It is a given that we will have to deal with. We are still lucky to be in a region (Catalonia) where we have fewer problems with it for now. However, if one takes Murcia, for example, there are several places where it is really causing great concern. There, people will have to look for solutions, which we then have to extend to the rest of Spain. It's not an acute problem yet for us, but these days we too have to irrigate year-round. Everyone will eventually have to deal with it, so obviously it is always in the back of our minds."
For more information:
John Gijbels
Euro Gijbels
Cami de les Arenes s/n
43300 Mont-roig del Camp
Tarragona - Spanje
info@euro-gijbels.be
www.eurogijbels.be