During the last year, orange prices have decreased by 18% at the field level but have increased by 15% on supermarket shelves, according to a study prepared by the Valencian Farmers Association (AVA-ASAJA) based on data from the Valencia Citrus Market and the ASAJA Nacional price observatory.
Specifically, the Navel Lane Late orange variety, which is currently in an advanced phase of collection and marketing, registers average prices at origin of 0.26 euros per kilo, an amount that is 18% less than the price average of exactly a year ago, when farmers received 0.31 euros per kilo in a campaign with a similar harvest volume. On the contrary, Spanish consumers are paying 15% more for this same orange variety than a year ago, going from an average of 1.65 euros per kilo in 2023 to 1.89 euros per kilo in 2024.
AVA-ASAJA, which had already denounced the sharp drop in citrus prices, demands that the central government launch an in-depth investigation to clarify the reasons behind this disparate evolution of prices at origin and destination. The organization chaired by Cristóbal Aguado warns the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, that “its 2, 18 or 43 proposals are insufficient if it does not provide transparency and balance to the value chain, which is where the profitability of producers is at stake and where "You have to be vigilant to guarantee fair prices."
The agricultural leader regrets that “of the minister's proposals, the majority are declarations of intentions that do not depend on Madrid, but on Europe, and what we urgently need are realities. Planas must get its act together to quickly apply the measures that fall under its direct jurisdiction and to put pressure on Brussels on other initiatives that are essential, such as the review of trade agreements with third countries, reciprocity, pest and disease control, etc. ”
Aguado emphasizes that “it is curious what is happening with oranges and other agricultural products, but this is the reality. While the people who produce food earn less money in the fields and the people who buy those same foods pay more in the store, it is evident that there are links in the food chain that are earning more at the expense of producers and consumers. And a responsible Government must ensure a fair food chain.”
AVA-ASAJA reiterates to the national and regional administrations that they carry out an intense campaign of ex officio inspections of the main commercial operators and distribution chains “to rule out anti-competitive practices, since, with the available data, no technical factor alone "can decisively explain the loss in the sales price of citrus growers, when prices to consumers are increased." Likewise, it urges the Food Information and Control Agency (AICA), dependent on the Ministry of Agriculture, to investigate, and where appropriate sanction, any contract for the sale of citrus fruits whose price is below the average costs of production.
