Extra-large variety is one of the earliest clementines on the market
Spain’s Agrícola Bagu has launch a new early clementine variety. XLO is named after its extra-large size and the name of its parent variety, Oronules, of which it is a spontaneous mutation. Its season runs from mid-September to the end of October, making it one of the earliest clementines on the market.
The company has reached an agreement with the Agricultural Nursery Association (Avasa) to market XLO in its nine associated nurseries from September.
“The new clementine retains all the virtues of Oronules: its high juice content (over 50 per cent), attractive reddish-orange colour and smooth texture, and it has an exceptional balance between sweetness and acidity,” it said.
This coming season, Bagú will conduct trials with the Valencian Agrarian Institute, Ivia, to verify whether it travels well over long distances and can withstand the cold treatment required for markets such as the US under suitable conditions.
Javier Traver, who discovered the variety on his farm in Burriana, Castellón, said: “Being productive, easy to handle, low cost, and with affordable royalties, XLO is profitable for the grower, for the exporter, and it more than meets the consumer’s requirements for easy peeling, sweetness, and seedlessness. And for the retailer, it offers quality fruit with a good size and uniformity”.
