Clementine and mandarin production in the Terres de l'Ebre increased by 20% over the previous season, according to data from the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Catalonia (FCAC). This increase comes after the previous harvest was lower than usual, and stood at 82,000 tons of clementine and mandarins and 27,000 tons of orange. Additionally, the prices received per kilo have increased by between 10 and 15 cents, favored by the decrease in the harvest in certain areas of Spain due to the drought, which has helped offset the increase in production and wage costs.
However, the campaign faces significant challenges in its final stretch, marked by concern about the strong competition from imported citrus fruits and the high incidence of pests such as the South African cotonet or the oriental spider. "These pests have come with the citrus fruits imported from abroad and global warming is favoring their reproductive cycles. In addition, the extreme weather contributes to the appearance of physiological alterations of the fruit, which must then be removed from the marketing channels," stated Federico Tarazona, FCAC citrus spokesman. Moreover, the abandonment of farms, with a reduction from 9,700 to 8,000 hectares of cultivation since 2012, has generated foci of fruit flies, further complicating the situation.
Competition with imported products hinders consumer preference for local products, which means that about 95% of the citrus production of Terres de l'Ebre is destined for export. Agricultural cooperatives currently account for 36% of Catalonia's total citrus production. The extension of the orange harvest until May, due to the slowdown in sales in the European market, adds another element of uncertainty to the sector.
Source: agrodigital.com