South African citrus may not have the ability to be held in cold storage this summer because of a combination of high temperatures followed by wet weather during growth, say several importers.
But satsumas, already on the market and facing a steady demand at around £8/carton, have shown few problems and speed of sale is likely to be maintained as the trade is aware that the succeeding clementine crop is considerably light.
According to Martin Dunnett, marketing director of Capespan International,the clementine crop could be down 20%, leading to a shortage of fruit for prepacking. He says Capespan is still looking to sell over 500,000 cartons which will include several later varieties such as Afourer being grown in the Western Cape, extending the season into September.
Meanwhile, Dunnett is predicting a 12% sales growth for Navels which will begin to arrive by the end of the month. There is a European target of 3 million cartons, with the UK expecting 1.3 million.
The first grapefruit has already arrived in the UK, shipped by independent importer Hart and Friedman, and Capespan expects to reach its 700,000 carton target by early June.
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