According to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, the Spanish grapefruit production this season is expected to be 2% greater than in the previous campaign. The volume should come close to 79,600 tons, and 32.9% of that (approximately 26,200 tons) will be cultivated in Andalusia, with Seville leading the way. This campaign, the province will produce more than 58% of the Andalusian harvest (and about 20% of the national total).
"In general, the grapefruit campaign is very stable, except for the months of January and February, when cheaper grapefruit from Greece and Turkey arrives, causing stagnation in our sales, especially in Eastern European markets, such as Poland," says Patricia Marí Minran, from the Sevillian company Citran. "However, the supply to supermarkets and closer countries, such as France, remain without changes throughout the entire campaign."
"It's true that, in terms of volume, grapefruit is not comparable to oranges, for example, but we deliver regular shipments weekly to our clients," says Patricia. "At Citran, we work with the Star Ruby variety. The harvest begins in October, and this year we have had product available until April. We have some plantations that are still young, so we foresee an increase in the production in the coming years. Thus, in a few campaigns, we should be able to supply fruit until May without any problems."
The European grapefruit market is certainly dynamic and not focused on local productions. According to data from the European Commission, in the 2023/24 campaign, Europe imported around 112,500 tons of grapefruits from third countries. The Netherlands has been the largest importer, with 57,443 tons (51% of the total). This fruit was mainly supplied by China, which shipped 43,964 tons (76.5% of the total) to the Dutch market, although South Africa, Israel or the US also stood out as suppliers.
It is worth noting that, with just over 200 tons (practically a symbolic figure), 91% of Spanish grapefruit imports come from a much closer origin: Morocco.
"Following the flowering, the fruit has already been setting on the trees," says Patricia. "The March rains were very beneficial, not just for grapefruit, but for all citrus crops. We can already foresee that, if all goes well, next year's harvest will be very good."
For more information:
Cítricos Andaluces S.A.T
Ctra. Camino del Bodegón de las Cañas, KM.1
41310 Brenes, Seville. Spain
Tel.: +34 955 031 250
[email protected]
https://citransat.com