Our season was largely defined by challenging growing conditions. The end of October brought a week of persistent, heavy rainfall, followed by an extended period of cloudy weather. "It was like experiencing Belgian weather in Spain—conditions that Spanish cultivation simply isn't suited for," says John Gijbels of Euro Gijbels.

These adverse weather conditions directly impacted the quality and quantity of clementines. "In the weeks following the rains, we saw the Oronules deteriorate rapidly, with issues like spots and wrinkles becoming apparent. As a result, we lost a significant portion of the crop," John explains. "The harvested produce could only be sold to a limited extent, with much of it redirected to the juice industry." Subsequent varieties couldn't compensate for the losses in Oronules. "Switching quickly to Clemenules was impossible due to inadequate coloring, and since we mainly work with leaves, post-ripening wasn't an option. This forced us to be selective in our harvest, further limiting the available volume. Quality always remains our priority."

As a result, available product volumes in November and December, traditionally the most critical months for clementine sales, declined. "Since everyone was experiencing similar problems, the market saw a shortage of supply. Our last variety, Nadorcott, did allow us to recover some volume later, but by then, most of the season was already over."

Vegetable cultivation also affected
Vegetable cultivation was also impacted by the extreme weather. "Although the damage wasn't always immediately visible, the excessive flooding in some plots left plants under prolonged stress. One plot was even completely washed away by a stream of water," John adds.

Normally, sunshine would aid in recovery, but the persistent cloud cover prevented this. "As a result, water remained in the soil for too long, slowing plant growth. Cauliflower, in particular, faced significant challenges. We quickly fell several weeks behind schedule, and the last variety largely didn't survive. This led to a general shortage of available produce."

Looking ahead with moderate optimism
Looking ahead with cautious optimism, John concludes, "It was a difficult season, but we are looking forward to a promising summer. We expect normal, consistent volumes, allowing us to serve our market effectively. So far, the outlook seems positive."

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com