Production at the Exportadora d’Agris d’Alcanar cooperative (Montsià) fell by 40%, dropping from 14 million kilos to about 10 million. This situation is attributed to the massive entry of mandarins into Europe in October, exacerbated by tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration, and continuous rain episodes.
“"It was the straw that broke the camel's back."
Producers like Ramon Itarte, from Alcanar, who waited for a price recovery, lost nearly 300,000 kilos of fruit due to the downpours in mid-December. Prices started at 0.6 euros/kg and plummeted to 0.3 euros/kg, before closing at 0.45 euros/kg.
“"This is a disaster."
The sector is also forced to adapt to climate change, which has reduced the commercial period for the dominant variety, clemenules, from twelve to eight weeks. Technicians in Alcanar are working to reduce the dominance of clemenules from 80% to 50%, introducing new “second season” varieties such as nadorcott or tango.
