Spanish citrus fruits retain their leading position in Europe

Published 2021년 5월 5일

Tridge summary

Spanish citrus fruits have seen a surge in demand on the back of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the country's citrus exports experiencing a significant boost in 2019-2020. This increase was attributed to heightened consumer demand for fruits to boost their immune systems and logistical issues in South Africa, a competing export hub, affecting its ability to ship citrus to Europe. The 2020-2021 season saw an anticipated harvest of over 7 million tons, despite challenges such as increased production costs and weather conditions leading to a larger yield of smaller fruits, impacting prices. The first half of the season, from September to February, showed positive growth, with a slight decrease in orange exports in volume but a substantial increase in value. Oranges have been the top-performing citrus fruit, with a notable rise in prices due to lower supply and higher demand, particularly for the Salustiana orange variety. Overall, the Spanish citrus industry has shown resilience and adaptability amidst the pandemic, demonstrating a robust performance in the face of challenges.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Citrus fruits have been the engine of Spanish fruit and vegetable exports since the mid-nineteenth century and precursors in the opening of international markets. Its production has always been closely linked to fresh exports, in fact, Spain is the leading citrus exporter in Europe, and the EU is also its main commercial destination as it represents 92% of national citrus exports. In the 2019-2020 campaign, the emergence of COVID-19 in March 2020 meant a total change in the development of Spanish citrus exports, with an increase in demand from the main destination markets. Concern about the coronavirus and the need on the part of European consumers to buy fruit with which to strengthen their immune system were the two factors for the strong increase in demand in Europe, which also coincided with a period in which there were hardly any remaining citrus on the trees. The Management Committee confirmed in fact that the end of the 2019-2020 season has been one of the best in recent ...

Source: Valencia Fruits