Castellón’s growers will focus on the European market due to lower production
A forecast fall in production of Clemenules in the Spanish province of Castellón will discourage growers from exploring new commercial opportunities in non-EU countries such as China and India in the forthcoming campaign.
According to agricultural union Unió Llauradora i Ramadera, the province is on course to produce 225,180 tonnes of Clemenules, 19 per cent less than last year.
The Unió’s secretary general, Carles Peris, said: “We will have more demand than supply at certain times of the season, which means that exports will focus on the EU and the UK, which are secure and traditional markets”.
He added: “In principle, we do not foresee any problems in exports because production is very tight, with continuous declines year after year. We expect good sales, like in the previous citrus season”.
In March, the Citrus Management Committee (CGC) announced that India had approved a modification to its citrus import protocols, allowing exporters to carry out the mandatory cold treatment during transit rather than at origin. This makes the Indian market a more viable option commercially for Spanish shippers.
