Spain floods force firms to look south for oranges

Some British retailers and wholesalers have been forced to switch to sourcing oranges from South Africa and South America earlier than usual after last month's floods in eastern Spain left farmers struggling to harvest and ship their crops.

- Sarah Butler Sam Jones

Companies in Britain have moved to buying fruit from the southern hemisphere several weeks earlier than in a typical year to prevent gaps emerging on supermarket shelves and amid fears over the quality of Spanish produce.

Persimmons, also known as sharon or kaki fruit, have been affected even worse than oranges by the flooding as they are more delicate than citrus, analysts and industry insiders said.

The Valencian branch of Asaja, Spain's biggest farming association, has estimated that the floods have led to losses of more than €1bn (£830m) for the region's agricultural sector.