commission

South Africa’s Orange and OJ Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

South Africa’s orange and orange juice (OJ) production are projected to increase in 2023–24 compared to the prior year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported recently. ORANGES Orange production for 2023–24 is forecast to increase to 1.69 million metric tons (MMT), from 1.63 MMT the prior year. The South African area planted in oranges is …

Peru

Mandarin and Tangerine Production in Peru

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

For 2023–24, mandarin and tangerine production in Peru is forecast at 560,000 metric tons (MT). This is a 2% increase from the previous year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). WEATHER CHALLENGES Weather presented several challenges for mandarin/tangerine producers. One challenge was above-average temperatures during summer (December 2023 to March 2024) due to warm …

South Korea

South Korea Grants Market Access to Texas Grapefruit

Daniel CooperGrapefruit, International, Texas

Texas grapefruit growers recently gained access to a new international market in South Korea worth $5 million annually. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) negotiated the technical details that will help ensure grapefruit exported from Texas are free from pests, such as the Mexican fruit fly. On June 27, 2024, South Korea’s national …

European

European Citrus Production Update

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) semi-annual European Union (EU) citrus report forecasts a decline in mandarin production and an increase in lemon production for 2023–24.  TANGERINES AND MANDARINS EU tangerine and mandarin production in 2023–24 is forecast at 2.6 million metric tons (MMT), down from 2.9 MMT the prior season. USDA FAS reported that unfavorable …

Chile

Chile Citrus Production Projections

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

In a recent semi-annual report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) projected 2023–24 lemon production in Chile will increase from the prior year while the country’s orange and tangerine/mandarin production will decrease. LEMONS Lemon production in 2023–24 is projected to grow by 6.7% from the prior year and reach 175,000 metric tons (MT). Lemon planted area …

export expectations

Export Expectations Changed for Moroccan Citrus

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Export expectations are the only major changes made in a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) semi-annual citrus report for Morocco. Production forecasts remain the same as in the agency’s December 2023 annual citrus report.Here’s a look at the export changes: TANGERINES/MANDARINS Tangerine/mandarin export expectations for 2023–24 were revised down to 400,000 metric tons (MT) from …

global

Slight Changes in European Citrus Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) projected a slight decrease in European orange production in 2023–24 and a slight increase in orange juice (OJ) and grapefruit production. ORANGES The USDA FAS semi-annual report projects 2023–24 EU orange production at 5.475 million metric tons (MMT), down from the already short prior-year crop of 5.58 MMT. Orange production …

Argentine

Argentine Orange and Tangerine Forecasts Slashed

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) has reduced its 2023–24 production forecasts for Argentine oranges and tangerines by 44% and 30%, respectively, since the last forecasts. The 2023–24 crops are now expected to be 650,000 metric tons (MT) of oranges and 280,000 MT of tangerines.  The decrease in production is due to a combination of factors, …

South African

Turkish Tangerine, Lemon and Grapefruit Update

Daniel CooperInternational

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) recently increased its 2023–24 production forecasts for Turkish tangerines, lemons and grapefruit. TANGERINES Overall tangerine production is forecast to increase 55% to 2.88 million metric tons (MMT) due to favorable spring rains and temperature conditions during blossoming in March 2023. Tangerines are the most produced citrus fruit in Türkiye, with …

market

Türkiye Orange and OJ Production to Climb

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Türkiye is expected to produce substantially more oranges and orange juice (OJ) in 2023–24 than in the prior season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported recently. ORANGES The orange yield is forecast to increase 31% to 1.73 million metric tons due to favorable weather conditions in spring 2023, USDA FAS stated in a semi-annual report. …

postharvest

Ways to Cut Postharvest Waste

Daniel CooperInternational, Research

Citrus farming worldwidedelivers an annual 140 million tons of oranges, tangerines and other citrus fruits, but much of the postharvest crop is lost before it reaches the market. “Up to 30% of citrus fruit is lost to decay and disease following harvesting,” says food scientist Yang Shan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and head of the Dongting …

gall wasps

Parasites Fight Citrus Gall Wasps

Daniel CooperInternational, Pests

Jianhua Mo, a research entomologist with Australia’s New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) authored an article about the release of parasitic wasps for the control of citrus gall wasps (CGW). Edited excerpts follow: CGW is a pest of major concern in the southern citrus-growing regions of the Riverina, Sunraysia and Riverland. With the exception of the adult …

sterile insect

Sterile Insect Program Supported in South Africa

Daniel CooperInternational, Pests

South Africa’s Western Cape Department of Agriculture has given the country’s Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA) 2 million rands (approximately $109,000) to support the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) program to suppress false codling moth. False codling moth is a phytosanitary pest affecting export crops such as citrus, table grapes and stone fruit. The support from the provincial government will help expand …

greening

Greening Addressed at International Epidemiology Workshop

Daniel CooperDiseases, International

Fundecitrus researchers Renato Bassanezi and Silvio Lopes in April addressed the citrus greening situation in Brazil from an epidemiological point of view during the International Epidemiology Workshop held in Brazil. Lopes presented work on the potential of citrus plants in backyards being a source of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (the bacterium associated with greening) inoculum for commercial orchards. Fundecitrus has been …

China

Citrus Breeding Advancement Announced in China

Daniel CooperBreeding, International

The National Center for Citrus Variety Improvement in Chongqing’s Western Science City in China has created Citrus Core 1. The world’s first citrus liquid breeding chip, Citrus Core 1 boosts breeding efficiency. Breeding chips play a vital role in germplasm genotyping for biological breeding, which is crucial for crop genetic enhancement and research. China is a significant player in breeding …

Chilean Citrus

Chilean Citrus Export Expectations

Daniel CooperExport, Export/Import, International

The Chilean Citrus Committee recently estimated that global citrus exports from Chile will total 383,000 tons this season, a 4% decline from 2023. Export declines are projected for clementines, mandarins and oranges. Lemons are the only citrus fruit forecast to have increased export volume this season. The committee forecast clementine export volume of 40,000 tons, which is 35% less than …

Southern Hemisphere

Forecast for Southern Hemisphere Citrus Production

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The World Citrus Organisation’s (WCO) preliminary forecast for the 2024 Southern Hemisphere citrus season projects total production will decrease 0.77% from the prior year. Production for Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay is estimated at 24.34 million tons this year. The WCO broke the forecast down by variety: CLIMATIC CONDITIONS IMPACT PRODUCTION The Southern Hemisphere’s 2024 …

Citrus Congress

Fundecitrus Participates in Australian Citrus Congress

Daniel CooperEvents, International

General Manager Juliano Ayres and researcher Franklin Behlau of Brazil’s Fundecitrus participated in the recent Australian Citrus Congress. Attendees discussed the impacts caused by citrus greening in affected countries like Brazil and worked to establish strategies for preventing and detecting the disease in Australia. During the event, Behlau gave a lecture at the Citrus Australia Biosafety Symposium and provided an …

Australian Citrus Congress

Highlights of the Australian Citrus Congress

Daniel CooperEvents, International

The inaugural Australian Citrus Congress was held March 5–7 at the Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort. The event drew more than 400 attendees for a conference, trade show, gala dinner and biosecurity symposium. Organized by Citrus Australia, highlights of the event included the following: “Businesses across the supply chain had the opportunity to learn something new or make a connection that …