In a year in which thousands of hectares devoted to kaki cultivation have been affected by inclement weather, including spring frosts and summer hail storms in the Region of Valencia, the supply has been considerably reduced.
"There is no surplus of first class kakis anywhere; there is actually a shortage that will persist throughout the campaign. Prices are falling gradually as the supply increases, but will remain fairly stable throughout the campaign, reaching peaks that will range between 1.80 and 1.50 Euro per kilo."
"In the standard category, which is the one we are busiest with at Frutomás Export S.L., we are still handling large volumes and we are actually short of marketable product," says José Tomás. "The demand exceeds the supply because prices have been so high that a time comes when people cannot afford the prices of the first class and they go for the lower categories. The prices of the second class are currently comparable to those reached by the first class in previous years."
And the fact is that with "only 35-40% of a normal production, the production peak will only last a couple of weeks this season," said José, "and according to my estimations, by mid-November, the campaign will be over." In any case, this year is bringing an opportunity to teach consumers that quality standards should not be based solely on the fruit's aesthetic appearance and other factors traditionally imposed by the market.
"Why is a Canary banana better when it has spots, or a Conference pear is no good if it has no russeting, but a kaki is not accepted if it has any mark on its skin?" asks José Tomás. "The fruit does not always have to look 100% perfect. This year, the fruit available has some damage marks, but what needs to be evaluated is the quality of the product, and this season the fruit has a much better taste quality than in previous years. On the one hand, the trees have less fruit, so the production available has received more resources and it is really good, and on the other hand, the kakis have been harvested paying more attention to maturity levels, so when they reach the consumer, their quality is optimal, and this increases the chance of repeat purchases."
"Unfortunately, every season there are sellers who consciously put low quality fruit on the market, especially at the beginning of the season, when prices are higher, because even if money is lost from complaints, they still make a profit. But this eventually leads to a loss of consumer trust. When a consumer does not like the quality, they won't come back to buy more kakis. I hope that won't happen this year, given the product shortage and the production costs we are having. In fact, I think that even what usually goes to the processing industry will be sold in the fresh market.
At least the incidence of cotonet has been lower this time than in previous seasons, so further losses have been prevented, says José. "The pest that is raising the most concerns this year in the Region of Valencia, mainly in Castellon and Valencia, is the spider mite in citrus."
Commitment to Valencian potatoes
José Tomás founded Frutomás Export S.L. in 2000. He belongs to a family that used to be devoted to the cultivation of two traditional products in the Region of Valencia that today are being relegated: potatoes and onions; products that José still works with.
"Currently, between 14,000 and 15,000 tons of traditional white potatoes, such as Vivaldi or Monalisa, are still produced in the Region of Valencia. Last year, the campaign was a disaster due to the rains and after such a discouraging season it is always difficult to start up again, but we continue betting on this product."
"In the Valencian potato business, eventually only 8 or 10 companies will be left, because the number of growers devoted to this crop's cultivation is dwindling. But the association of Valencian potato exporters has already existed for a century and we don't want to let all that work go to waste."
