Pakistan

New Citrus Facilities Strengthen Pakistan-China Ties

Daniel CooperInternational, Research

A Chinese official’s visit to new citrus facilities in Pakistan showcased citrus research and growing agricultural cooperation between Pakistan and China. Sun Yan, consul general of the People’s Republic of China in Lahore, Pakistan, inaugurated a newly established climate-controlled glasshouse and screen house at the Citrus Research Institute (CRI) in Sargodha. He was briefed on the institute’s research programs, citrus …

exploitation

Citrus Australia Condemns Exploitation of Workers

Daniel CooperInternational, Labor

Citrus Australia recently stated that it condemns any exploitation of workers in horticulture. The statement followed recent media reporting, Fair Work Ombudsman (Australia’s workplace regulator) action in New South Wales (NSW) and a Victorian Supreme Court case alleging serious exploitation of horticulture workers by an unlicensed labor hire operator. Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock said the allegations of worker exploitation …

Thailand

Thailand Offers Strong Opportunities for U.S. Citrus

Daniel CooperExport, International

Although Thailand’s imports of fresh oranges plummeted in 2025, a U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) report states that there are “strong opportunities” for U.S. citrus in the country. According to the report on market prospects for U.S. fresh fruit exports to Thailand, the country has a growing appetite for premium imported fruit. That appetite is driven …

South Africa

South Africa Export Forecast and Concerns

Daniel CooperExport, International

The Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA) of Southern Africa has lowered its South African citrus export forecast for the 2026 season. The association now estimates export volume of 205.3 million 15-kilogram cartons, down from the 209.4 million cartons projected before the season began. The adjustment is primarily due to lower export outlooks for mandarins, navel oranges and grapefruit. On the other …

South African

New Approval Should Boost South African Citrus Exports to India

Daniel CooperInternational, Trade

After nearly a decade of negotiations, newly approved export conditions for South African citrus going to India have been established. The Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA) of Southern Africa and South Africa’s Department of Agriculture (DoA) announced Aug. 17 that India has approved the inclusion of additional treatment options for fresh citrus fruit from South Africa. South Africa already exports citrus …

halftime orange

Australian Growers Aim to Save Halftime Orange Tradition

Daniel CooperInternational, Survey

New Australian research reveals that the halftime orange is being squeezed out of junior sports, with the childhood ritual increasingly being replaced by sports drinks and packaged snacks. A YouGov survey showed that 93% of parents believed the halftime orange ritual was dying out. According to parents, fewer than 30% of kids are eating orange wedges at the halftime break. …

Spanish Lemon Production on the Decline

Spanish Lemon Production on the Decline

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International, lemons

Spanish production of lemons for 2025–26 is projected at 828,000 tons, a decrease of 9.6% from the 915,000 tons of the previous season. That comes on top of a production decline registered in 2024–25, when the crop was 20% lower than in 2023–24.  The fall in production is not explained by a significant reduction in area. The 47,996 hectares in …

HLB

How HLB Research Has Evolved

Daniel CooperHLB Management, International, Research

Huanglongbing (HLB, or citrus greening) disease has been the focus of an enormous amount of scientific research over the past two decades. A new study — “Bibliometric Mapping of Citrus Greening Disease Reflecting Trends, Shifts and Focus Areas” — takes a unique look at that research. It analyzes thousands of scientific publications to identify where scientists have concentrated their efforts …

global lemon

Drop in Global Lemon Supply

Daniel CooperInternational, lemons

A recent review of the 2025–26 global lemon market reported a drop in supply, highlighted by Türkiye’s production collapse. Economists Pablo Resco Sánchez and Pablo Santiago Izu Pérez of Platform Land conducted the review. According to the review, the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast for the 2025–26 season put global lemon production at around 10.1 million tons. That’s a 6.6% …

Cyprus

Biocontrol of Psyllids Is Successful in Cyprus

Daniel CooperBiologicals, International, Pests

Classical biological control is having a very significant impact on populations of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) in Cyprus, according to Ángel Marhuenda, director general of common agricultural policy for the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA). ACP is the vector of huanglongbing (HLB) disease. Marhuenda said, however, that “the detection of residual populations of the vector indicates that continued …

supply

Forecast for 2026–27 Global Orange Juice Supply

Daniel CooperForecast, International, Orange Juice

Rabobank recently forecast a challenging 2026–27 harvest year for the global orange juice (OJ) industry. It reported that while global supply is forecast to contract, the ongoing decline in OJ demand is likely to continue. As a result, global frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) prices are expected to struggle to recover sustainably. This article, focusing on OJ supply, consists of …

salt

The Search for Salt-Tolerant Citrus

Daniel CooperInternational, Rootstocks, Varieties

Scientists with Tunisian and Swedish universities recently wrote “Salinity–Chloride Interaction Effects on Novel Citrus Combinations Under Various Field Conditions,” which was published in Horticulturae. The authors are Hend Askri, Sywar Haffani, Hager Snoussi, Rim Zitouna-Chebbi, Tarek Fezzani and Asma Najar — all with Université de Carthage in Tunisia — and Ronny Berndtsson with Lund University in Sweden. A brief summary …

flooding

Flooding Damages South Africa Citrus

Daniel CooperInternational, Weather

Heavy rainfall in South Africa’s Eastern and Western Cape provinces earlier this month — during early mandarin harvesting — caused widespread flooding that is expected to impact production. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported that the floods destroyed export-quality fruit and wiped out entire crops for some growers at the peak of the season. The …

soil microbiome

Impact of Organic vs. Conventional Farming on the Soil Microbiome

Daniel CooperInternational, Organic, soil

An international group of authors recently reported on a study to investigate the impact of organic farming on the soil microbiome in citrus orchards. The authors are: The soil microbiota of eight conventionally and seven organically managed commercial citrus orchards across eastern Sicily were evaluated. FINDINGS The structure (diversity and relative abundance) and functionality of soil bacterial and fungal communities …

cover crops

New Findings on the Effects of Cover Crops in Citrus

Daniel CooperCover Crops, International, Research

Cover crops in orchards are recognized as a sustainable practice that enhances multiple ecosystem services, yet systematic evaluations of different cover crops used in citrus orchards remain limited. A recent study in China investigated the effects of cover crops on soil properties, soil carbon dioxide (CO2) flux, leaf physiological traits, fruit quality and yield in a citrus orchard, using clean …

2-4-D

New 2,4-D Formulation Can Reduce Citrus Splitting

Daniel CooperInternational, Research

Researchers have demonstrated how an early application of the plant hormone 2,4-D can significantly reduce fruit cracking (also known as fruit splitting) in citrus crops — a major economic challenge worldwide. The researchers are from the Mediterranean Agroforestry Institute at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and Valencian Institute of Agrarian Research in Spain. Their work complements pioneering studies conducted in …

South Africa

South Africa Maintains Middle East Citrus Supply

Daniel CooperExport, International

South Africa’s citrus season is rapidly gaining momentum, with fruit now beginning to flow steadily to markets in the Middle East. The current pressures on exporters of citrus are confined to marginally longer transit times and higher shipping costs, but there is no material diversion of South African citrus volumes to alternative markets away from the Middle East. “Early consignments …

Southern Hemisphere

Southern Hemisphere Citrus Forecast Issued

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The World Citrus Organisation (WCO) released production and export forecasts for the 2026 Southern Hemisphere citrus season. The forecasts are based on information from the WCO network in Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay. ALL CITRUS Total Southern Hemisphere citrus production is expected to decrease 5.86% from the previous year to 26.4 million tons. Exports, however, …

China

South Africa Set To Boost Citrus Exports to China

Daniel CooperExport, International

South Africa’s Department of Agriculture and the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) announced the amendment of the plant health protocol governing the export of South African citrus to China. The amended protocol introduces additional phytosanitary pest risk mitigation treatment options, reflecting a science-based and risk-managed approach to plant health compliance. The outcome, based on scientific outputs from Citrus …

mood

Study Shows How Citrus Volatiles Influence Mood

Daniel CooperInternational, Research

A recent study shows how citrus volatiles influence mood, highlighting their potential application in functional foods and nutraceutical applications. The introduction to an article in Food Quality and Safety about the study states that mood food refers to foods that enhance mental health. Among these, the widely favored citrus aromas evoke emotions such as pleasure, relaxation and alertness, thereby influencing …