Japan’s citrus planted area and production are on a long-term downward trend. Reasons cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) are aging farmers, labor shortages and a lack of successors for running farms.
In a December annual report, USDA FAS summarized production, planted area and trade for each of Japan’s citrus varieties.
TANGERINES/MANDARINS
After a historically low production level of 882,000 metric tons (MT) of tangerines/mandarins in 2022–23, Japan is expected to produce 930,000 MT in 2023–24.
Planted area is expected to dip 2.4% in 2023–24 from the prior year to 48,300 hectares.
Imports of tangerines/mandarins are expected to remain flat at 18,000 MT. The United States is the leading tangerine supplier to Japan with 31.3% import share. Exports are expected to increase 11% to 1,800 MT.
ORANGES
Japan’s 2023–24 orange production is forecast to decrease 1.7% to 5,800 MT.
Orange area harvested is projected to drop from 390 hectares in 2022–23 to 381 hectares.
Imports are projected to be down slightly to 66,000 MT, with Australia being the leading orange supplier. USDA FAS describes exports as “negligible” at 49 MT.
GRAPEFRUIT
Japan’s domestic grapefruit production is described as “marginal” at 98 MT, produced on 8 hectares. However, the country produces grapefruit-like varieties that boosted the total reported grapefruit production to 27,000 MT in 2023–24. That’s the same level produced the prior year.
The addition of the grapefruit-like varieties boosts total reported grapefruit-harvested area to 1,235 hectares.
Grapefruit imports are expected to decline slightly to 30,000 MT in 2023. Exports were reported as “negligible” in 2022–23 and are expected to remain low in 2023–24.
LEMONS/LIMES
USDA FAS forecasts the planted area of lemon and lemon-like citrus will increase 1% in 2023–24 to 4,700 hectares. As a result of that acreage increase, production is anticipated to increase marginally to 52,000 MT in 2023–24.
Japan’s lemon imports in 2023–24 are forecast to be down 2% to 44,000 MT. Fresh lemon and lime exports are negligible.
See the full USDA FAS report on Japanese citrus here.
Source: USDA FAS
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