The Valencian Community expects to harvest 3,953,226 tonnes of citrus fruits this campaign, 755,058 tonnes more than during last year’s campaign.
The department for Agriculture, the Environment, Climate Change and Rural Development from the Valencian Community presented its citrus fruit harvest predictions for the next campaign. All the parameters indicated that citrus fruit production will normalise and return to figures from two years ago. In oranges, 1,850,478 tonnes should be reached, meaning a 19.0% increase; and in mandarins, 1,792,407 tonnes should be harvested, showing a rise of 29%. Regarding lemons, the forecast is to produce 288,080 tonnes (+21.0%), with an important production upturn for the Verna variety (+42.0%). The overall predicted growth percentage is 23%.
Production of all the varieties is on the rise, although the case of satsumas stands out, with a growth of 106.4%, along with early clementines (Marisol, Clemenrubí, Oronules), which are doubling their production.
And regarding the quantity normalisation, a new reduction in the crop surface area could occur, particularly in Valencia, where persimmon cultivation is becoming more popular. Another phenomenon that may be observed regarding surface area is that lemon growers continue to expand in Alicante. Castellón is, of the three, the only province that does not seem to be “redesigning” its variety map, either in the short or the long term.
Therefore, the Valencian citrus fruit sector is looking hopeful towards the near future, even for contribution forecasts because they expect to meet their goals and demands. Only two things worry them: the drought and Brussels. In the words of the Valencian minister, Elena Cebrián, “although flowering has been normal, the lack of rain and the wider spacing between irrigation systems in some areas has made it necessary to carry out several “thinnings” to help the fruit to fatten on the trees”. Regarding Brussels, Cebrián emphasises that they are going to “study the consequences that the European Union trade concessions to South African imports could have on the Valencian citrus fruit growing sector and, working with the European MPS, demand the Agricultural Minister to defend it.”
