In the province of Valencia, the main kaki producing area in Spain, the Rojo Brillante kaki harvest is progressing more slowly than usual and with an abundance of small and medium sizes due to the influence of warmer than usual weather. The demand is high and prices remain at profitable levels.
"The kaki campaign is progressing very slowly this year due to the delay in the ripening of the fruit and the shortage of large sizes at the start," said Inma Torregrossa, manager of Frutas Inma, "We have been negatively affected by the weather conditions, especially the excess heat, which has been delaying the fruit's coloration and facilitating the spread of harmful pests such as the cotonet, white fly, etcetera."
The production is lower than expected in the first estimates, but it is still notably higher than in the previous season, when more than 70% of the volume was lost due to adverse weather conditions. "We have lost around 25% compared to the expected harvest due to hail and pests. The latter continue to cause losses and we are waiting to see how the situation will develop in the coming weeks. However, for now, the kakis appear to have a very good internal and external quality this year," says Inma Torregrossa.
"We have more kakis than at this time last year, but the market is still relatively empty compared to other years with a normal production, and this is also due to the lack of larger calibers. We are specialized in the supply to wholesale markets, which usually demand larger sizes. Something similar is happening with mandarins," she says.
According to the manager of this Valencian company, the demand is high and prices are currently good enough to cover the high production costs and make a profit. "We hope that prices will remain like this all season, as last year was very challenging. In any case, we don't expect a lot of kakis until at least past the first week of November and, if temperatures drop, the demand will likely rise, as this is a cold season product."
Frutas Inma produces and markets around 5 million kilos of kakis per year. These are distributed nationally, mainly in traditional markets, and are also shipped to European countries such as Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Hungary or Portugal, and some non-EU countries such as Canada, Brazil, Jordan, Dubai, Singapore or Hong Kong, among others.
For more information:
Inma Torregrossa
Frutas Inma
Carrer de L’Olivera
46291 Benimodo, Valencia. Spain
Tel.: +34 96 253 14 71
pedidos@frutasinma.com
www.frutasinma.com