Clemenules stand out as Castellón's most important citrus variety. However, other citrus varieties have positively surprised producers this year. Navel orange prices at origin are 80% higher than the average of the last five campaigns, thanks to the shortage of fruit and a growing demand in recent weeks.
More than 97,000 tons of Navel oranges will be harvested this year in the Plana Baixa, Plana Alta, and Baix Maestrat -accounting for 16% of all the citrus cultivated in Castellón–. 74,903 tons belong to the Lane Late variety, a variety that begins to be harvested at the end of January and that is being sold at an average price of 0.42 euro in the fields, according to data from this week from the Lonja Citrícola de Valencia. Some producers have even sold it at a record price of 0.52 euro. "In recent days, there has been a rebound in the price of Lane Late, mainly due to the interest of the retail sector," stated the Ministry of Agriculture.
Thus, the price of the most relevant orange variety in Castellón at origin is 35% higher than last year when the Lane Late was priced at 0.31 euro per kilo. When the data of the Navel subgroup as a whole (composed of Lane Late, Navelina, Navel, and Navel Powell) is analyzed, the result is very similar: the average price at origin stands at 0.37 euro per kilo, i.e. almost 80% higher than the average price of the last five years (0.21 euro per kilo).
The Clemenules campaign is about to end (two or even three weeks earlier than usual) due to the shortage of fruit, with operations reaching 0.55 euro per kilo, 12% more than the maximum prices of the previous year and almost 25% more than the average of the last five seasons.
Source: elperiodicomediterraneo.com