Previous heavy crops last season could reduce the volume of Spanish soft citrus available, according to cooperatives in the major Valencia region. Last year Spain produced some 1.2 million tonnes of all varieties. Easy peeler main crop varieties such as Clemenules, Fortuna and Clemenvilla could also be affected by a light fruit set, though earlier varieties may have fared better. However the position is reversed as far as oranges are concerned, with Navels and Navelinas expected to continue to be on a similar scale to 1999 when some 760,000 tonnes were available. To this must be added other types such as Cadeneras, Salustianas, Vernas, Bloods and many more bringing the overall figure to over 1.2 million tonnes. Growers are looking for good returns after last year when the industry faced increasing competition from the Mediterranean, causing several organisations to ask for government aid to either grub up groves or help pay for a replanting programme expanding the most popular types. With official forecasts expected later this month, Spain's largest producer group Anecoop is calling for the industry to reorganise to make fruit more competitive. It envisages converting unpopular sized fruit to processing in an effort to bring the market into balance. A tree census by region has also been advocated to establish a clearer picture of the state of the industry with exporters having their facilities inspected to ensure these are up to standard. Anecoop has also called on growers who are not part of the industry's representative body, probably as many as 30% or more, to join so collective decisions will be easier to take. {{FRESH PRODUCE }}

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