In the coming days, the supply of Spanish kakis could be compromised due to a shortage of CO₂ gas, a key component in the deastringency process that makes the fruit marketable.
"Fertilizer manufacturers have halted production due to rising costs. There's a lack of raw materials from which the CO₂ we use in the sector to remove kaki astringency is obtained," says Pascual Prats, president of the Spanish Kaki Association (Aekaki).
"While some have secured their supply, several companies point to it dropping by 30% until at least November 25," he says.
"Given that we are already in the middle of the harvest and that this year's production is between 30% and 40% smaller than last year's, we may not be able to meet all demand for kakis in the coming weeks," says Pascual.
Although Aekaki's representative says that kaki deliveries have so far proceeded as usual, the situation is forcing many growers to slow down harvesting while they wait for CO₂ availability to return to adequate levels. "We expect gas supply to return to normal from December onwards," says Pascual.
Source - https://www.freshplaza.com
