Although organic citrus consumption has remained relatively stable over the past two years, producers face different challenges. “In particular, the sharp increase in the price of the product due to the appearance of an increasing number of different certificates required by European chains, which could create some confusion among consumers and affect sales,” explains Alberto Torres, director from the Valencian company Citruslandia, specialized in the production of organic clementines and mandarins.
Alberto Torres at his Nadorcott bio farm in Sagunto
“Following a period where demand for organic citrus fell as a result of the pandemic, we have seen stable sales over the past two seasons, although there has been some decline in some chains. However, sales could stagnate if costs continue to rise, mainly due to the proliferation of organic certificates and labels required by different distribution chains in various countries. This borders on the ridiculous, it actually already looks like a parody! »
“We are mainly talking about additional certifications, beyond the European organic production label, Global GAP, GRASP or eSpring. We find ourselves facing a sort of ‘certification war’ which is suffocating producers, due to investments in infrastructure, audits and, ultimately, the economic effort that this implies and which ends up making the product more expensive. I also believe that we are sowing confusion in the minds of the end consumer with the multiplicity of labels, which can affect consumption. »
In fact, according to Torres, the supply of organic citrus is becoming more and more concentrated. “We have seen many small operators who were dedicated to the production and marketing of organic oranges and tangerines disappear because it is becoming more and more complicated and you have to do things very well to obtain correct margins . »
“These additional certificates and administrative obstacles hamper the mobility of operations, causing many operators to drop out because they do not have sufficient capacity to cope. It is very clear that today, no producer who does not have at least 40 to 60% of his own production and significant volumes can be competitive. Additionally, we are seeing a notable increase in the supply of organic mandarins in Italy and more specific regions such as Corsica in France. »
Since 1997, Citruslandia has specialized in the production and marketing of organic clementines and mandarins, including the varieties Oronules, Esbal, Clemenules, Tango, Nadorcott and Orri. It is also developing in the production of organic oranges.
For more information:
Alberto Torres
Citruslandia S.L.
Such. : +34 609588939
[email protected]
citruslandia-sl
