The Croatian mandarin harvest finally began this past week, but due to poor and unusually harsh conditions this year, the yield isn't as good as it has been in the past. Producers are primarily giving their fruit to purchasing centres, but many are also still selling them at traditional stands. The drought this year has affected just about everything, from olives to grapes, and mandarins are no exception. Producers cite price increases as the biggest thorn in their side.
A general sense of dissatisfaction isn't only being found in regard to pricing, but also because of this year's smaller Croatian mandarin harvest. "There is twenty percent less this year than we had last year. My expectation is somewhere around 30,000 tons,'' said Neven Mataga from Opuzen.
Source: total-croatia-news.com