Spain: AVA-ASAJA laments rough year for Valencian agriculture
The agricultural year of 2014 has been described as an ‘unmitigated disaster’ for Valencian growers.
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Spain: Start of Valencian kaki campaign with 11% higher production
Spain: Start of Valencian kaki campaign with 11% higher production
The president of the Regulatory Board, Cirilo Arnandis, said Monday that the kaki harvest this season is expected to reach approximately 80,000 tonnes, with “high quality and good calibres.” This is 8,000 tonnes more than last season.
Arnandis highlighted how the success of kakis is the result of hard work and effort in the entire sector, as well as support from the regional and national administrations. “We have managed to turn kakis into a flagship product,” he stressed.
The campaign will primarily focus on consumers, aiming for them to recognise the fruit with the PDO Ribera del Xuquer “as a kaki that guarantees flavour, quality and food safety,” and that only PDO-certified fruit can be marketed under the Persimon label.
In addition to promotions at domestic level, Arnandis said that such campaigns will also be carried out, with help from ICEX, in Germany, the UK and Canada. There will also be a EU-funded campaign in France. Total investments in promotion for this season exceeded one million Euro.
Moreover, the president of the Regulatory Board stated that while hailstorms have affected the production in some places of the region, this will be of “equal or slightly higher quality than last year, although taking into account that not all demand could be covered last season. “This campaign there will be a decline in demand as a result of the closure of the Russian market, although there is enough demand from other markets to absorb all supply,” he explained.
Source: eleconomista.es
Publication date: 10/9/2014
Spain: Valencian citrus exports beat the recession with record sales
Spain: Valencian citrus exports beat the recession with record sales
The Spanish Region of Valencia’s citrus sector has managed to close the 2012/2013 campaign with record export sales, after shipping almost three million tonnes of mandarins and oranges, which is 4.3% more than in the previous season. Additionally, according to official data, the value of those goods reached 2,100 million Euro.
These results coincide with the upward trend of exports in the main markets for private and cooperative shipments, although also with the reduction in production volumes of some regions due to frosts and wind, which have generated losses of 10 to 50% compared to last year.
Citrus is currently Valencia’s second largest exporting business, after automobiles. This position has been obtained after a season characterised by wide price oscillations; very low for the main early varieties, although generally better in the case of the late ones. The Powell, ValenciaLate, and OrtaniqueFortuna have all achieved a higher profitability, although it is worth noting that current prices stand at the same levels as decades ago.
According to the technical department of AVA-Asaja, “it is possible to combine a record volume of exports overseas with the defence of reasonable prices for all agents in the chain, including producers.”
This season’s results confirm that quantity is not always incompatible with good prices. “The citrus sector, according to AVA, should be more organised to be able to make smart and well-planned management decisions during the entire campaign.” In his opinion, it is essential to prevent the premature sale of mandarins which have yet to reach the right degree of ripeness. “Foreign consumption responds to this and we must act professionally if we wish demand to remain strong.”
Production costs
Despite this all, some citrus producing regions have suffered considerable drops in production. In this regard, the Unió de Llauradors (Growers’ Association), rated the season as disastrous for La Ribera, mainly due to the low prices obtained and production losses after the winter frosts. This region is undergoing a large-scale transformation process of mandarin and orange plantations into other crops, like kakis.
The Growers’ Association stressed that the average price paid to growers has oscillated between 0.15 and 0.23 Euro per kilo for the Clemenules and 0.09 to 0.15 for the Navelina, which fall below the production costs for the said varieties; an average of 0.26 and 0.22 Euro respectively.
Source: Levante-emv.com
Publication date: 8/30/2013
