The Rojo Brillante kaki campaign started about 3 weeks ago for Anecoop, the largest operator of this product in Spain, which handles about half of the national production. For this campaign, the entity expects the kaki harvest to reach around 110,000 tons; a recovery compared to the previous season, when it marketed just around 55,000 tons, but without reaching the volumes of two years ago.
"This is the quickest kaki campaign I have seen since I started working with this product, more than 11 years ago," said Carlos Nemesio, Anecoop's Commercial Manager for Kaki and Watermelon. "We have started with good commercial volumes ahead of schedule, but the market is eager for kakis and consumption is responding well. The heat during the day and the cooler nights accelerated the ripening, so the product has a good taste, which motivates people to come back for more."
"We are working on it, but there are still no computer tools allowing us to accurately estimate the harvests. For now, everything points to the production reaching around 70% of our plantations' potential (approximately 150,000 tons); a significantly higher percentage than last season's 30%," said Carlos Nemesio.
However, the truth is that, as the harvest progresses, there are increasingly more discards and the volume is falling due to the predominance of medium and small sizes.
"This year there is an abundance of 200 gram pieces, which are rather small. This is due to the impact of high temperatures during the flower setting stage, plant stress and the high number of fruits per tree. With smaller calibers, yields therefore decrease," said the commercial manager. "Occasional hail storms in some producing areas have also contributed to reducing the harvest and increasing the share of second-grade fruit."
According to Carlos Nemesio, prices are considered acceptable for the time being, as they ensure some profitability. "There is a fairly constant outflow of goods from the warehouses. In general, the number of kaki operators in the sector has been reduced and the supply is more concentrated, which allows for better management. Large-scale distributors are more willing to pay the prices we ask for, given last season's experience, marked by very high prices due to the scarce supply."
The sector is closely monitoring the spread of pests, which have become one of the biggest threats to kaki cultivation in recent years. "With these warmer than usual temperatures, it remains to be seen how the 'cotonet' situation will evolve. For now, it is not having a critical impact on the 2nd and 3rd generation populations, although we are noticing a slightly greater presence of whitefly," warns Carlos Nemesio.
Kaki consumption continues to grow slowly in Spain and in countries such as the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany, according to Anecoop's sales representative for this product. The entity is now expecting to make its first shipments to the Chinese market.
"Two of the three companies registered to export to China this year are part of Anecoop. The last necessary audits for the export protocol to come into force are being carried out this week," said Carlos Nemesio. "It is a big market that knows the product well, and although we are eager to start, we know that we have to be careful and do things step by step. We can't start shipping large volumes knowing the risks involved."
For more information: anecoop.com