The mandarin crisis of Europe and Central Asia: What causes it?

EastFruit analysts note a difficult situation on the European fresh mandarin market at the end of 2024. Consumers are surprised by high prices for the product, and producers complain that despite the low harvest, the demand for these fruits is also relatively low. According to international fruit and vegetable market expert Fedor Rybalko, the mandarin harvest in Turkey has sharply decreased in 2024. At the same time, Turkey is the world's largest exporter of fresh mandarins by volume, and the third by value. Accordingly, it is the most important market player, exerting a huge influence on mandarin pricing in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In addition, Turkey's influence on the EU mandarin market also continues to grow rapidly. Maryte Gailite, an expert at the Latvijas dārznieks vegetable growers association, notes that prices for mandarins and citrus fruits in general in Latvia are unusually high this season. "In the last two weeks of December, supermarkets offer tangerines ...