The acreage and productive potential of kakis in Valencia has registered a 20% growth rate since 2004. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the acreage devoted to this subtropical crop has expanded from 2,281 hectares to 12,000 hectares, thus becoming six times greater in a decade. In the region of La Ribera, in particular, the fruit has become one of the products of choice amongst growers.
As explained by the deputy secretary of AVA-ASAJA, Bernardo Ferrer, "the market continues to absorb this fruit normally; supply and demand remain balanced." An exponential growth which reveals, on the one hand, the great acceptance of kakis on the part of consumers, but on the other hand, the need of producers to diversify ahead of the future.
Over 200,000 tonnes
The kaki production is expected to exceed 200,000 tonnes for the second consecutive year, even though adverse weather conditions in Valencia, such as heat waves and hail storms, have caused a significant volume of fruit to drop from the trees, especially in new plantations, whose production will be at least 10% lower than initially estimated. This is the conclusion of a technical study carried out by the Valencian Growers' Association, which found that there would be a lower yield per tree, but also excellent calibres for the fruit's marketing in the major European markets.
