| Fruits |
Vegetables
|
Mandarin, Citrus reticulata / Rutaceae
The origin of the mandarin is not very clear. Some authors doubt whether it comes from the Southeast of Asia or the southwest of China. The main producers are China, Spain and Japan. In Spain, the production is centered in the Mediterranean basin, specifically in the provinces of Valencia and Castellón.
The origin of the mandarin is not very clear. Some authors consider it native of the southwest of China, although others state that it comes from some countries of the Southeastern Asia, such as Laos or the Philippines. The truth is that it has been cultivated in China for millenia. From there it spread to the rest of the Southeast of Asia and in the Xth century it was already cultivated in Japan. The introduction of the mandarin in Europe took place thanks to the Englishman Abraham Hume, who imported two varieties of mandarin trees from China. Just a short time later some of these trees were sent to Italy and Malta.
The main producers are countries of the Mediterranean basin: Italy, Morocco, Spain; the United States, China and Japan, among others. The production is intended for the consumption in fresh, although it is also processed for syrups and jams. The world production is around 9,500,000 tons, being the European production 2,200,000 tons.
The following table shows the production figures of tangelos, mandarins, clementinas and satsumas. Tangelos are citruses that come from the cross between grapefruits and tangerines, and in some tropical countries they are highly consumed.
Source: FAO Production Yearbook (1998)
As it is shown, China is the main producer with a great difference over the rest; Spain is in the second position.
As far as exports are concerned, the 10 main mandarins, oranges and tangelos exporters are:
(Export of Oranges, Mandarins and Tangelos)
Source: FAO Trade Yearbook, 1998.
The enormous difference between the Spanish export and the rest of the main exporting countries is shown. Spain exports almost 1,800,000 tons more than the second exporting country, the United States. The quantity of tons exported by Spain surpasses the total of tons exported by the United States, along with Morocco, South Africa, Greece, Egypt and The Netherlands.
Spain accounts for 80% of the European demand. In Spain the production is centered in the Mediterranean basin, given the good climatic conditions, that is to say, the absence of frosts, enough contrast between the heat in the morning and the cold at night in winter, the time of the year when mandarins mature. The alternate temperatures are very important for citruses to acquire good colouring, as it happens in the tropical zones. Castellón and Valencia stand out for the importance of their cultures, since they have most of the production.
In the following table we can see that almost half of the surface of mandarin tree production is centered in Valencia and that almost all the production of this fruit is located in the Mediterranean region.
Source: Anuario de Estadística Agraria 1989. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Secretaría General Técnica.
The main import countries are Germany, France and tUnited Kingdom as it is shown in these two tables:
(Import of Tangerines, Mandarins, Clementinas and Satsumas)
Source: FAO Trade Yearbook, 1998.
(Import of Tangerines, Mandarins, Clementinas and Satsumas)
Source: FAO Trade Yearbook, 1998.
The origin of the mandarin is not very clear. Some authors consider it native of the southwest of China, although others state that it comes from some countries of the Southeastern Asia, such as Laos or the Philippines. The truth is that it has been cultivated in China for millenia. From there it spread to the rest of the Southeast of Asia and in the Xth century it was already cultivated in Japan. The introduction of the mandarin in Europe took place thanks to the Englishman Abraham Hume, who imported two varieties of mandarin trees from China. Just a short time later some of these trees were sent to Italy and Malta.
The main producers are countries of the Mediterranean basin: Italy, Morocco, Spain; the United States, China and Japan, among others. The production is intended for the consumption in fresh, although it is also processed for syrups and jams. The world production is around 9,500,000 tons, being the European production 2,200,000 tons.
The following table shows the production figures of tangelos, mandarins, clementinas and satsumas. Tangelos are citruses that come from the cross between grapefruits and tangerines, and in some tropical countries they are highly consumed.
COUNTRY | PRODUCTION (thousand tons) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-91 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | |
| China | 3,767 | 5,818 | 6,888 | 7,218 |
| Spain | 1,456 | 1,504 | 1,969 | 1,737 |
| Japan | 1,749 | 1,153 | 1,553 | 1,553 |
| Brazil | 649 | 749 | 749 | 749 |
| Iran | 423 | 628 | 684 | 684 |
| Republic of Korea | 599 | 514 | 649 | 649 |
| Morocco | 319 | 332 | 400 | 462 |
| Egypt | 232 | 449 | 435 | 435 |
| Argentina | 310 | 253 | 410 | 410 |
| Turkey | 357 | 450 | 365 | 410 |
Source: FAO Production Yearbook (1998)
As it is shown, China is the main producer with a great difference over the rest; Spain is in the second position.
As far as exports are concerned, the 10 main mandarins, oranges and tangelos exporters are:
COUNTRY | EXPORTS | |
|---|---|---|
| tons 1998 | thousand $ 1998 | |
| Spain | 2,455,558 | 1,396,137 |
| The United States | 663,623 | 388,634 |
| Morocco | 515,886 | 249,561 |
| South Africa | 496,000 | 172,373 |
| Greece | 330,208 | 107,300 |
| Egypt | 217,716 | 60,822 |
| The Netherlands | 208,891 | 125,504 |
| Turkey | 182,966 | 78,949 |
| Israel | 174,000 | 84,049 |
| Italy | 172,885 | 81,904 |
(Export of Oranges, Mandarins and Tangelos)
Source: FAO Trade Yearbook, 1998.
The enormous difference between the Spanish export and the rest of the main exporting countries is shown. Spain exports almost 1,800,000 tons more than the second exporting country, the United States. The quantity of tons exported by Spain surpasses the total of tons exported by the United States, along with Morocco, South Africa, Greece, Egypt and The Netherlands.
Spain accounts for 80% of the European demand. In Spain the production is centered in the Mediterranean basin, given the good climatic conditions, that is to say, the absence of frosts, enough contrast between the heat in the morning and the cold at night in winter, the time of the year when mandarins mature. The alternate temperatures are very important for citruses to acquire good colouring, as it happens in the tropical zones. Castellón and Valencia stand out for the importance of their cultures, since they have most of the production.
In the following table we can see that almost half of the surface of mandarin tree production is centered in Valencia and that almost all the production of this fruit is located in the Mediterranean region.
PROVINCE | SURFACE (it has) |
|---|---|
| Valencia | 32,451 |
| Castellón | 27,372 |
| Alicante | 5,534 |
| Tarragona | 2,121 |
| Sevilla | 1,404 |
| Málaga | 1,361 |
| Murcia | 1,108 |
| Huelva | 673 |
| TOTAL (all Spain) | 73,287 |
Source: Anuario de Estadística Agraria 1989. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Secretaría General Técnica.
The main import countries are Germany, France and tUnited Kingdom as it is shown in these two tables:
IMPORTS VALUE 1000 $ year 1999 | |
|---|---|
| Germany | 241,986 |
| France | 235,913 |
| United Kingdom | 172,574 |
| The United States | 126,255 |
| The Netherlands | 89,170 |
| Canada | 82,493 |
| Italy | 59,988 |
| Poland | 51,768 |
| Belgium - Luxembourg | 50,406 |
| Sweden | 35,507 |
(Import of Tangerines, Mandarins, Clementinas and Satsumas)
Source: FAO Trade Yearbook, 1998.
IMPORTS AMOUNT (tons) year 1999 | |
|---|---|
| Germany | 318,899 |
| France | 286,225 |
| United Kingdom | 216,742 |
| The Netherlands | 132,141 |
| Poland | 121,375 |
| The United States | 90,454 |
| Canada | 84,106 |
| Federation of Russia | 74,699 |
| Italy | 73,296 |
| Belgium-Luxembourg | 67,927 |
(Import of Tangerines, Mandarins, Clementinas and Satsumas)
Source: FAO Trade Yearbook, 1998.
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