Marketed under a protected geographical indication (PGI), Corsican clementines are popular with consumers. It benefits from specifications which guarantee it a form of excellence compared to competing citrus fruits coming in particular from Spain or Morocco. The 175 producers of Corsican clementines must therefore respect 70 instructions, specifies The Parisian this Monday.
“The season has started”
This ranges from picking by hand, to the guarantee of offering a fresh citrus fruit to consumers by ensuring less than six days between harvest and sale or even to promising a minimum juice content. Consumers follow because the 30,000 tonnes of fruit produced are sold each year.
And good news, the harvest is promising. “The season has started well. The fruits have a beautiful color, we have juice, we have acidity, so I am very satisfied with this start to the season,” commented Jean-Paul Mancel, citrus grower in Valle-di-Campoloro (Upper Corsica). and president of the association for the promotion of Corsican clementines with Corse Net Infos.
High prices
What characterizes the Corsican clementine, beyond its taste and its quality, is also its price. The island citrus fruit sells on average at 3.50 euros/kg in Lille and 4 euros/kg in Nantes, according to the market news network (RNM). To avoid paying the full price, it is better to choose supermarkets over convenience stores. Brands that source from producers or cooperatives can afford to cut prices.
In Corsica, it would be 2.90 euros/kilo. But according to Corse Matin, the prices would actually approach 5 euros/kg at the start of the season on the island of beauty because the brands obtain clementines from wholesalers located on the continent… from Corsica. They therefore send them the fruits back from France. A round trip as useless as it is expensive.
1,200 Moroccans responsible for the harvest
Generally speaking, prices are explained by demand which is strong compared to the number of clementines produced. Then, you have to take into account the price of transport between the island and the continent: 0.20 euros/kilo, according to Morning run. Then, it is the brands who freely decide the prices in store. The General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) is not responsible for controlling them. It is therefore up to consumers to pay attention to their budget.
The harvest will take place from November to the end of December. And it is only possible thanks to labor from abroad. 1,200 Moroccans will come to work on the island of beauty with the support of the French Office of Immigration and Integration (Ofii).
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