In the 2024/2025 season, the orange production is expected to recover in the Spanish region of Andalusia, the country's main producing area, after two years in which volumes plummeted by more than 50% due to the impact of drought in the Guadalquivir Valley.
The abundant rainfall in spring has allowed irrigation water allocations in the Guadalquivir Valley to increase to 4,500 cubic hectometres per hectare. The use of this water and that from wells has contributed to a considerable improvement in leaf mass and to a recovery in production volumes.
A good Navelina production is therefore expected, with high volumes already confirmed for the first part of the season. "At the moment, since there is a good load of fruit on the trees, the sizes are generally smaller than usual. We are hoping for more rain and more irrigation ahead of the start of the harvest, so that the later varieties will also benefit," says a grower and marketer from Seville.
As far as sales are concerned, an interesting season is expected for the Navelina, as the supply and quality of Southern Hemisphere oranges, especially from South Africa, have been notably affected by adverse weather conditions this year.
Field visits are already being made by buyers in Andalusia and the Valencian Community. The maximum purchase prices paid at source for the Navelinas in Valencia's market are higher than in the same period last season.
"The first orange harvests are eagerly anticipated. It remains to be seen how the situation will evolve from December onwards, when there will be a greater supply and more pressure on the market," says the grower.