The 2024–25 Australian orange crop will increase from the prior year while orange juice (OJ) production will dip, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) forecast recently.
ORANGES UP
USDA FAS projects fresh Australian orange production at 545,000 metric tons (MT) in marketing year 2024–25 (April 2025 to March 2026). That would be the highest production level in two decades and a 5% increase from 520,000 MT the prior year.
The major orange production areas in Australia are in the southern temperate climate regions. The total orange production area across these regions is 17,014 hectares, accounting for 90% of the national production area.
Fresh orange exports are projected to reach 190,000 MT in 2024–25, a 10,000-MT increase over the 2023–24 estimate. This would mark a return to recent historical levels, ranging from 181,000 MT to 198,000 MT, achieved between 2016–17 and 2019–20. If realized, this forecast level would be the third-highest export volume on record.
In recent years, the primary export destinations for Australian oranges have been Japan, China and Hong Kong, with South Korea emerging as a significant market in 2022–23. These four countries typically account for more than 60% of total exports. Australian oranges are exported to more than 40 countries; most exports are to Asian markets.
Orange imports are projected to remain stable at 10,000 MT in MY 2024–25, consistent with the prior-year estimate.
OJ DOWN
Australian OJ production in 2024–25 is forecast at 15,000 MT, representing a 2% decrease from the 2023–24 estimate of 15,300 MT.
OJ exports for 2024–25 are forecast to remain steady at 4,000 MT, matching the 2023–24 estimate. This volume is consistent with recent years. Over the past decade, annual OJ exports have fluctuated between 1,500 MT and 5,600 MT, averaging 3,500 MT. New Zealand has long been Australia’s primary destination for OJ exports.
USDA FAS forecasts OJ imports for 2024–25 at 13,000 MT, an increase of 1,000 MT from the estimate for the prior year. Australia imports nearly as much orange juice as it produces.
See the full USDA FAS report on Australian citrus here.
Source: USDA FAS
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