European Union (EU) orange and orange juice (OJ) production in 2024–25 is both projected to decline from the prior season. The forecast was issued by the U.S Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS).
ORANGES
The orange crop is projected at just above 5.6 million metric tons (MMT), down from the 5.7 million MMT orange crop in 2023–24. Orange production is the largest citrus category within the EU, and Spain accounts for 50% of the bloc’s production.
The larger production estimated for Spain and Portugal did not offset the reduced crop projected in Italy, where drought pushed productivity down and negatively affected fruit sizes. Orange production in Greece is also projected down for 2024–25.
EU orange exports in 2024–25 are expected to recover to 325,000 metric tons (MT), after hitting bottom in 2023–24 at 307,000 MT. Orange imports are forecast to increase to 950,000 MT from 938,000 MT the prior year.
OJ
OJ production is projected to decline in 2024–25 to 50,234 MT from 54,188 MT the prior year. The improved caliber of oranges in Spain in 2024–25 compared to the previous season is expected to result in reduced volumes devoted to processing. A smaller number of oranges also is expected to be devoted to OJ in Italy, where citrus production is largely intended for fresh consumption.
In 2024–25, OJ import levels are expected to increase compared to the previous season, to 527,000 MT from 479,104 MT.
EU orange juice exports are expected to decline, to 111,000 MT from 114,123 MT last year. The United Kingdom remains by far the largest destination of EU OJ, accounting for over half of the EU’s exports. Egypt is the EU’s second largest OJ market.
See the full USDA FAS report on European Union citrus here.
Source: USDA FAS
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