Israeli

War Impacts Israeli Citrus Industry

Daniel CooperInternational

Israeli
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A December U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) report on Israeli citrus discusses the impacts of the Israel-Hamas war on the country’s citrus industry.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, the effects from the war on the citrus industry have become clearer. As such, USDA FAS has revised much of its marketing year (MY) 2023–24 (October–September) data to represent updates from the war.

In MY 2023–24, Israeli citrus production was 6.4% lower than initial estimates of 450,000 metric tons (MT), due to damaged plots and a lack of labor.

Although producers reported higher production in oranges, all other varieties were reduced. As such, USDA FAS is increasing its MY 2023–24 production estimates for oranges and updating the reduction in production of all other varieties.

The citrus industry also faced several export and logistical issues, some of which may continue to affect certain citrus forecasts for MY 2024–25:

  1. Limited or halted exports to Asia, due to the inability to route via the Red Sea as a result of Houthi attacks on shipping vessels
  2. Continued port delays in vessel arrivals to be used for exports
  3. Increased costs of sea freight and higher war risk insurance
  4. A lack of a skilled workforce due to many foreign workers leaving the country, Palestinian residents’ inability to cross into Israel, and many Israeli workers recruited into the military service.
  5. Packinghouses located in “war zones” are not operational.
  6. Unskilled volunteers assisting in harvesting, which damaged fruit
  7. War activities that damaged citrus groves resulted in:
    • Damaged irrigation systems
    • Damaged groves from fires
    • Inaccessibility to plots located near active fighting areas
    • Plots not harvested in time due to the war, which generated phytosanitary issues

See the full USDA FAS report on Israeli citrus here.

Source: USDA FAS

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