OVERVIEW GLOBAL ORANGE MARKET
After a year of high demand for oranges, fueled by the coronavirus, 2021 has started with slightly less positive market conditions. Prices are under pressure due to the high volumes on the market. Besides Spanish, there are also Turkish, Egyptian and Moroccan oranges on the market. The first oranges have been harvested in the Southern Hemisphere and larger volumes are expected in the coming months. In South Africa there have been some problems with the weather, but in general, normal volumes of good quality oranges are expected.
Netherlands: Difficult orange market; suppliers want more money than the market is willing to pay
Spanish pepper dominates the market
Spanish pepper deliveries dominate the market. Business was quite varied: In Berlin, availability expanded enormously and valuations then dropped to as low as €5,- per 5 kg-carton. In Frankfurt, the same unit cost between €8,- and 10,50, but there were also offers of €6,50 per 5 kg on some days. In Hamburg and Munich, prices increased, but this did not dampen demand. In Cologne, a wide price range was established.
Turkish unloadings completed the marketing, but were completely absent in Cologne. Their presence was limited, in some cases very definitely. The resulting increase in demand was passed on to the customers by the distributors. Moroccan imports only appeared in Frankfurt, where one had to pay €8,- to 9,- per 5 kg-carton for the red and green products.
“Complicated transition period for the citrus fruit”
The citrus fruit market is in a period of transition. The varieties that have been available since October are disappearing progressively from the market, making place for the second-season varieties. “This year, the transition is not without problems. This applies to both clementines and oranges,” reports Xavier Rosario of Louis Rosario, a company specialized in Spanish citrus fruit.
“We are finishing the Nules and Clemenvilla clementines. They are sold at about 1€/kilo. The varieties arriving - Nadorcott, Tango and Orri - are much more expensive. Their selling price is above 1.50 €. This difference in price obviously creates a psychological break on sales.”
OVERVIEW GLOBAL ORANGE MARKET
During the lockdown in March, the demand for oranges went through the roof; a market development from which the southern hemisphere benefited the most. Towards the end of the year, the market in Europe and North America has stabilized and the demand is not as high as a few months ago. This slowdown in the demand has been a cause for disappointment in Spain, where they had initially expected the high demand to be maintained. In North America, many wholesalers appear cautious about purchasing due to the uncertainty in the market. The sale of oranges in China is also not going great. The demand has declined, causing prices to fall.