Orange production in Argentina in 2022–23 is expected to fall to 800,000 metric tons (MT) compared to 830,000 MT the prior year. Tangerine production is projected to remain at 380,000 MT. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS).
La Niña-related drought is expected to have a negative effect on fruit production, especially in northeastern Argentina, where production depends entirely on rainfall.
Sweet citrus is grown in both the northwest (oranges) and northeast (oranges and tangerines) of Argentina.
The main orange varieties grown in northwest Argentina are Hamlin, Pineapple, Robertson and Navel. In the northeast, the main orange varieties are Navel, Salustiana and improved Valencia. The main tangerine varieties are Clementina, Clemenvilla, Ellendale, Malvasio, Montenegrina, Murcott and Ortanique.
PROCESSING
For 2022–23, oranges for processing are forecast to remain at the same level of 2021–22, or 200,000 MT. Despite the projected decline in orange production, the volume of oranges headed for processing is projected to remain relatively high due to smaller projected exports and domestic consumption, and because orange processors have continued to pay higher prices.
Fresh tangerines for processing are expected to decrease by 15% from the previous year and are forecast at 60,000 MT.
TRADE
For 2022–23 fresh orange exports are forecast to decrease to 60,000 MT, from 63,000 MT the prior year, due to less production.
Fresh tangerine exports are projected to increase to 57,000 MT, from 33,000 MT the prior year.
As in the past few years, export volumes of both fruits continue to be well below historical levels due to lack of competitiveness of Argentine exporters in international markets.
Citrus imports are expected to remain negligible in 2022–23 because Argentina is a net citrus fruit producing and exporting country. During January–September of 2021–22, Argentina imported 2.4 MT of fresh oranges from Spain. No fresh
tangerine imports were registered during that time period.
See the full USDA/FAS citrus report for Argentina here.
Source: USDA FAS
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