Tangerines: Will citrus fruits be in short supply at Christmas?

They belong on the Advent table like cookies, candles and stollen: bright orange tangerines. But the severe storms that hit the south of Spain at the end of October are leading to delivery disruptions for the popular citrus fruits shortly before the festival – and also for other types of fruit such as oranges and persimmons.

Up to a fifth of the harvest has been destroyed by heavy rain and flooding, reports the farmers’ association of the Valencia region. This is where 84 percent of exported mandarins and clementines normally come from.

Industry experts fear high prices and shortages, especially at Christmas time. Mario Slunitschek, chief buyer at Edeka Fruchtkontor, warns of restrictions. Food retailers have to react quickly to ensure supplies to consumers. Fruit juice manufacturer Eckes-Granini is also concerned about the current market situation. Sharply rising prices and a pronounced shortage can be observed for citrus fruits.

Spain’s farmers themselves are alarmed. In the Valencian province of Castelló, the storm caused losses of 15 million euros, especially in winter vegetables and citrus harvests. The affected farmers are demanding quick help from the Spanish state and the EU.

The independent Federal Information Center for Agriculture (BZL), on the other hand, expects only a short-term and slight shortage for local consumers. Prices for tangerines and other citrus fruits could temporarily rise slightly and imports to Germany could be delayed.

Due to the possible price increases for tangerines, orange juice could also become more expensive. After the bad harvests of the summer, some juice manufacturers switched to producing mandarins and clementines in order to compensate for the loss of oranges.

Now the price of orange juice could continue to rise if the tangerine substitute also becomes more expensive.