The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) has forecast production of oranges, orange juice (OJ) and lemons/limes in Morocco to decline in 2022–23 compared to the previous season.
FRESH ORANGES
Orange production in Morocco is expected to decline 35% to 750,000 metric tons (MT). The decline is attributed to unfavorable weather during the growing season, water shortages and a decrease in area harvested and yields.
Orange exports are expected to reach 80,000 MT in 2022–23, which is 38% lower than the prior year due to declining supplies. In 2021–22, exports went primarily to the European Union (EU), Russia, United States, Canada, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.
OJ
OJ production in 2022–23 is forecast to fall to 4,000 MT, nearly 27% lower than the prior season. The drop is based on lower orange supplies for processing.
OJ exports in 2022–23 are estimated to be about 2,500 MT, approximately 18% lower than the prior season. Morocco is expected to import 2,000 MT of OJ, an increase of 720 MT. Increased imports reflect the domestic production shortfall.
LEMONS/LIMES
Moroccan lemon and lime production for 2022–23 is forecast at 35,000 MT, about 22% lower than the prior season’s production. Production declines are due to heat stress during the growing season.
Lemon and lime exports are projected at 5,000 MT, a 32% decrease from the prior year. Export markets in 2021–22 were Sub-Saharan Africa, Russia, Canada, the EU, United Kingdom and the Middle East. Morocco shipped 26 MT of lemons and limes to the United States in 2020–21 but none in 2021–22.
Morocco’s mandarin and tangerine production is also significantly down; read more on those crops.
See the full USDA FAS report on Moroccan citrus here.
Source: USDA FAS
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