Spanish retailer Mercadona has ended its orange and mandarin campaign in the country for the year 2021/22, sourcing more than 192,000 tonnes of oranges and mandarins from Spain.
Spanish Primary Sector
During the purchasing campaign of oranges and mandarins originating in Spain, which lasted approximately from October 2021 until the beginning of September 2022, Mercadona has purchased more than 140,000 tonnes of oranges and 52,000 tonnes of mandarins from specialist national suppliers, choosen from over 2,500 growers throughout Spain.
As part of its commitment to local fruit and vegetables, the company bought more than 209,000 tonnes of oranges, lemons, tangerines, and other citrus fruits produced in the Valencia Region, Andalusia, Murcia, Catalonia, and the Canary Islands.
Oranges from other origins will be available until the new citrus season in Spain, which begins in the first weeks of October with the incorporation of Oronules variety mandarins.
Mercadona's commitment to the primary sector, with various agreements and strong relationships with producers, has allowed the group to source more than 85% of all oranges marketed by the retailer from Spain.
Citrus Fruits At Mercadona
During the month of September, customers will purchase oranges from other origins, until the first weeks of October, when the citrus campaign of Spanish origin will start again and the Oronules variety lemons and mandarins will arrive in stores.
Mercadona will continue to incorporate different national varieties throughout the month of October and during the first two weeks of November it will progressively incorporate oranges from Spain throughout the chain.
The company promotes the consumption of citrus fruits, as well as Mercadona's freshly squeezed orange juice, available in the fruit and vegetable section in the three packaging formats, 250 ml, 500ml, and one litre, all made from recycled plastic to promote the circular economy.
This service, which began in 2016 in all the chain's stores, is a project that was developed through joint innovation between Mercadona and the specialist supplier Zumex, the company noted.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest fresh produce news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
