Total European Union (EU) orange production in 2023–24 is expected to be the lowest in the last 10 years, the European Commission reported. The commission said production could fall by 5.4% year-on-year, to 5.6 million tons.
The expected drop in production is due to a production decline in Spain, the largest EU orange-producing country. On the other hand, production is expected to grow in Italy.
Overall, the drop in EU production can be attributed to yields that are 14% below the five-year average and 6.5% below the last marketing year.
The EU cultivated area of oranges in 2023–24 is 2% above the five-year average and up 1.2% from the prior year.
The production of oranges for processing increased by 2.6% compared to the prior year but is 13% below the five-year average.
The increasing trend of EU imports is expected to continue, fueled by the EU production reduction. In particular, EU imports of fresh oranges are expected to grow by 5.1% year-on-year, driven by increasing availability outside the EU. This year’s expected increase comes on top of a 42.5% import increase the prior year.
On the other hand, the reduction of EU production is expected to lead to an 18% reduction in EU orange exports. EU exports in 2023–24 are expected to be 32% lower than the five-year average. This is due to the reduction of the EU production as well as increasing competition from countries outside the EU.
EU exports of processed oranges are expected to increase 1.8% in 2023–24 compared to the prior year, but still remain 29% below the five-year average of processed orange exports.
The report on European oranges is part of a European Commission document, Short-term outlook for EU agricultural markets in 2024.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) also recently projected a decrease in European orange production. Get the details here.
Source: European Commission
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