Mandarins are currently fetching a good price on the market. Nadercott-mandarins in Morocco with very good quality, are being sold by importers for around 1.50 Euro per kilo. Good quality fruit isn't widely available though, and Morocco has created decent programs themselves which are aimed at Russia and Canada. The mandarins in Marrakesh are traditionally the best when it comes to quality. The Nadercott is almost exclusively grown in the surrounding areas around Marrakesh; one of its properties is that there are very few fruits that contain less seeds. Incidentally, less mandarins are available this year from Morocco.
Spain has two major mandarin plantations, namely Cordoba-Huelva and the area around Valencia. The larger gardens are mainly in Cordoba Huelva, with fewer other varieties and therefore the mandarins have less seeds than in Valencia. The Valencia region is characterized by smaller plantations which are more sensitive to seeds. An importer says that there are many varieties on the market at this time of year, ranging from Nules ("which are now dry"), Hernandina ("equal to Moroccan Nour") and Nadercott. "The problem with the Spanish mandarins is that there are major differences in quality and seed levels; this results in large price differences ranging from 1.10 to 1.70 Euros."
In addition, Spain offers Or-Clementines, which are equal to the Or from Israel, according to the importer. Almost all of the good Or-mandarins ship to Russia for a lot of money. We are talking about amounts of around 2 Euros per kilo. Customers in the Netherlands are not willing to pay that kind of money. The Or-mandarins are also not comparable to the Ori-variety. These mandarins are of a slightly lesser quality and they are sold for a price of around 1.50 / 1.60 Euros. Where mandarins are concerned, the competition comes from the Clementines (easy peelers) that are offered by Morocco, Israel and Spain. The difference in taste between the Spanish and Moroccan are negligible, according to the importer.
Turkey offers a wide range of Minneolas this year; their price fluctuates between 60 to 70 cents per kilo. According to an importer, the Turkish Minneolas are not very sweet compared to Turkish oranges, for instance. "Egyptian Minneolas are the best to eat, followed by Israeli and Turkish. However, all Minneolas are of a better quality this year than the previous years. The sugar content and appearance of the Turkish Minneolas is significantly better this year. The Turkish and Egyptian are the best, in terms of colour; Israeli Minneolas are highly variable in colour."
There are many new varieties being tested, according to the importer. "The traders just want a good, seedless, easy peeler. One of these new varieties from Spain is called the Queen, a very juicy, coarse mandarin that peels easily and looks like a Satsuma. These mandarins are almost exclusively exported to England, a real satsuma country, where the people are willing to pay good money for it."
