The Spanish mandarin campaign is getting underway with the harvest of the Satsuma and soon the first clementines will also start to be marketed, as well as the earliest oranges of the season, for which higher volumes are expected compared to last season.
"We have started to harvest and sell the first Satsuma Okitsu this week, which we are selling with green skin, mainly for the Catalonian market, either at the Mercabarna wholesale market, where we have five sales stands, or directly to supermarket chains," says David Usó, from Frutinter's sales department, who expects to sell around half a million kilos of this variety.
"We have a strong presence and experience in the Catalonian market, where Satsumas that haven't undergone a degreening treatment have their niche and are highly appreciated, because the fruit is harvested and packaged and arrives on the shelves the following day, so they ensure great freshness. We only start harvesting when the fruit has the right Brix and the right level of internal ripeness, because our goal is to boost mandarin consumption," says David Usó.
Although in other European countries, including the United Kingdom, there is also room for degreened Satsuma, the Frutinter sales representative says that "some importers are beginning to show interest in the Satsuma with green skin."
Between weeks 39 and 40, the company from Castellon expects to start selling the first Oronul and Orogros clementines, bringing the fruit with leaf to the market a week earlier than the one without leaf.
Frutinter's first oranges, of the M7 variety, will arrive between weeks 40 and 41, earlier than the Navelina, which will arrive in week 42.
According to David Usó, "this season, the orange volumes will recover compared to the previous campaign, when the production fell, especially in Andalusia. However, we are expecting fewer kilos of early Oronul, Orogros or Clemenules clementines. It remains to be seen how Spanish and overseas products will coexist, since there is expected to be a lower supply pressure."
Frutinter sells citrus, melon and watermelon all year round and, in general, it is more present in the domestic market, with the exception of the winter months, when it is slightly more inclined towards exporting.
"We are very happy with the domestic melon and watermelon season, which is now in its final stretch with the productions from Castile-La Mancha. It has been a year of large volumes and a very limited impact from the weather compared to last year. There have been some ups and downs, but it has generally been an acceptable season, with acceptable prices for both growers and marketers," says David Usó.
"Between late September and early October we will receive the first melon containers with productions from our own farms in Brazil, and for the first time, we will also be getting watermelons. Our project in Brazil is taking root and each year we are managing to grow slightly in terms of volume," says the Frutinter sales representative.
For more information:
Frutinter
Tel: +34 964 506310
[email protected]
www.frutinter.com