Citrus season halftone

The results of the campaign of citrus is contrasted in the region of Huelva which has 16 600 hectares of citrus (56% of oranges and 44% of mandarins).

The organization of producers (Asociación de Citricultores de Huelva ) expects to close the 2013/14 citrus campaign in late June with 480,000 tons produced (260,000 tons of oranges and 220,000 tons of mandarins) .

Mandarin production is rising, reaching almost double the volume harvested a decade ago. This puts the province of Huelva in Andalusia in the 1st position with 51% of the total volume in front of the province of Almeria (20%). The season is considered "normal" with good prices and rising demand.

Instead, the orange campaign is qualified "the worst campaign of last 20 years." Because of extremely low prices: between 0.16 and 0.17 euros/kilo and even in recent weeks between 0.11 and 0.12 euros/kilo, while the cost of production is located around 0.18 and 0.20 euros/kilo.

Such low prices that producers intend to stop crops, preferring to let the latest varieties of trees, that is to say nearly 80% of late varieties.

soure : radio valverde com, diario de huelva es