It costs $4,215 per acre to grow navel oranges in California in 2025, California Citrus Mutual (CCM) reported following a recent survey of production costs. That’s up from $3,300 in 2020 (a 35% increase), $2,712 in 2015 (a 75% increase), $2,099 in 2010 (a 125% increase) and $1,555 in 2005 (a 171% increase). Additionally, CCM reported that picking and hauling …
Alternate Bearing Affecting Cold-Hardy Citrus Production
Trees in the cold-hardy citrus region are expected to produce a low crop in 2025 following a massive crop in 2024. Mary Sutton, University of Georgia (UGA) assistant professor and citrus Extension specialist, believes the trees’ alternate bearing cycle will contribute to the decreased crop in 2025, especially for satsuma mandarins. “This alternate bearing pattern probably started in 2023. That …
10-Year Forecast for U.S. Citrus Production
Total U.S. citrus production levels are projected to continue their long-term decline over the next several years before stabilizing through 2034, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It attributed that expected trend to declining orange and grapefruit production alongside increasing production of lemons and tangerines. The projections for all U.S. commodities are in USDA Agricultural Projections to 2034, …
Record Mandarin Production Expected in Australia
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) has forecast record Australian tangerine and mandarin production for 2024–25. The country is poised to produce 225,000 metric tons (MT), a 7% increase from the prior year. ADDING ACREAGE The mandarin planted area in Australia has grown rapidly over the last decade. During the period from 2014 to 2023, there has …
Florida Citrus Production and Exports in 2023–24
A recent report recapped Florida citrus production and exports in the 2023–24 season. The summary, Florida Citrus Statistics 2023–2024, was published by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Fruits and Vegetables. The production statistics for Florida are official estimates of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. THE BREAKDOWN Oranges constituted 89% of the …
Global Orange and OJ Production Forecast
Global orange production is forecast to decline in 2024–25 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS), but orange juice (OJ) production is expected to increase. ORANGES Production of global oranges is forecast down 662,000 tons to 45.2 million tons. Higher production in Brazil is expected to be more than offset by lower crops in Egypt, Türkiye and …
South African Soft Citrus Production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) forecasts that 2024–25 production of South African tangerines/mandarins (also known as soft citrus) will increase by 3% from the prior year to 790,000 metric tons (MT). Growers have been putting up hail nets, which are expected to support both yield and fruit quality. PLANTED AREA AND CULTIVARS USDA FAS expects that …
Alico: Production Down, Prices Up
Alico, Inc., which will cease citrus production after this season, reported its citrus harvest declined in the three months ending Dec. 31, 2024 compared to the same period a year earlier. For those three months, Alico Citrus harvested approximately 4 million pound solids of fruit, compared to 4.7 million pound solids in the same period in the prior fiscal year. …
Lemon Production in South Africa
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) expects lemon production in South Africa in 2024–25 to grow by 7% from the prior year to 780,000 metric tons (MT). PLANTED AREA USDA/FAS forecasts that the country’s land planted in lemons will remain unchanged at 18,000 hectares. Producers are holding back from planting any more lemons due to an oversupply …
Global Lemon/Lime Production to Decline
Global production of lemons and limes in 2024–25 is forecast to be down 651,000 tons, to 10.2 million tons, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS). The decline is due to a drop in production in the European Union (EU) and Türkiye as a result of unfavorable weather and yields. Exports are forecast to rise with high …
Positive Gains for Mexican Orange and OJ Production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) recently forecast that Mexican orange and orange juice (OJ) production will both increase slightly in 2024–25. ORANGES Orange production is forecast at 5.05 million metric tons (MMT), 2% more than the previous season. Mexico ranks fourth worldwide in the production of oranges with 10% of total production. It trails only Brazil, …
Lemon Production in Argentina
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) forecasts Argentine lemon production to decline to 1.38 million metric tons (MMT) in 2024–25. The prior year’s production was 1.45 MMT. The decline is primarily due to early and persistent rainfall during the blooming season, which is expected to negatively affect fruit quality. Additionally, many producers are shifting their focus …
Japan’s Mandarin and Orange Production
Japan’s mandarin and orange crops are both forecast to decline in 2024–25 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). MANDARINS Japan’s mandarin production is estimated at 830,000 metric tons (MT) for 2024–25, a 4.7% reduction from the prior year. Mandarin production in Japan continues to decline because of high summer temperatures, in addition to a decreasing …
Orange Production in Chile
Orange production in Chile is projected to increase by 2.2% and total 190,000 metric tons (MT) in 2024–25, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) report. The projected production increase is based on expected high yields and a 1.4% growth in area planted to 7,300 hectares. ACREAGE EXPANSION The area planted with oranges in Chile …
Grapefruit Production in South Africa
South African grapefruit production is expected to rise slightly in 2024–25. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) is forecasting a 1% increase from the prior year to 425,000 metric tons (MT). PLANTINGS Grapefruit acreage in South Africa has been shrinking since 2020–21, reflecting a downward trend in global consumption. The area planted in 2024–25 will likely …
Turkish Citrus Production to Plummet
Production of all citrus varieties in Türkiye in 2024–25 is forecast to decline, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported. ORANGES Orange production is projected to decline 30% from the prior year to 1.6 million metric tons (MMT). The decline is due to excessive hot weather conditions during the blooming period in spring 2024. Yield per …
Orange Production in Egypt
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) has forecast Egypt’s orange production to decrease by almost 12% in 2024–25, to 3.7 million metric tons (MMT). The decrease is attributed to higher temperatures for long periods at the beginning of the fruit set, which negatively impacts production. Most of Egypt’s orange production comes from commercial farms on reclaimed desert …
Update on Korea’s Citrus Production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) recently forecast that Korea’s tangerine/mandarin production will decline 2.6% in marketing year 2024–25, to 565,000 metric tons (MT). Korea doesn’t produce oranges or grapefruit and only a small crop of lemons — an estimated 550 MT on 35 hectares in 2023. LOW FORECAST The tangerine/mandarin forecast, if realized, would be the …
Australian Orange and OJ Production
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 …
Mandarin/Tangerine Production in Peru
Peru’s mandarin/tangerine production in marketing year 2024–25 is forecast at 570,000 metric tons (MT), an increase of 2% from the previous year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) issued the forecast. The marketing year runs from April 2025 to March 2026. Cooler climatic conditions have extended into December 2024 due to the La Niña phenomenon, promoting …