Global Perspectives

World Growth and the Drop in Orange Juice Production

Josh McGillCitrus, Global Perspectives

By Marcos Fava Neves Editor’s Note: Welcome to Citrus Industry magazine’s newest column, Global Perspectives, authored by Marcos Fava Neves, an international expert on global agribusiness issues who comes from a family of farmers and is a worldwide defender of agriculture. As a professor of planning and strategy at the School of Business at the University of São Paulo, Neves …

Orange Juice Market Challenges

Tacy CalliesEconomics

Allen Morris, vice president of sales and marketing for Blue Lake Citrus Products, discusses the decline of the U.S. orange juice market. “Since 2001, we’ve lost about half of the U.S. OJ market,” he says. “When we look at June of this year compared to June of last year, total OJ consumption declined by 4.8 percent even though prices declined …

citric acid

U.S. Can Capitalize on Chinese Orange Juice Market Potential

Josh McGillCitrus

From: UF/IFAS By: Brad Buck, 352-294-3303, bradbuck@ufl.edu GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Opportunity awaits American and Florida marketers who want to sell 100 percent not from concentrate Florida orange juice in China if they take a cue from American restaurant giants like Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut, a new University of Florida study shows. Zhifeng Gao, an associate professor of food …

juice production

Brazil’s Orange Crop and Juice Production

Daniel CooperBrazil, Crop Forecast

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS), Brazilian orange and orange juice production are both forecast to decline in 2023–24 compared to the prior year. ORANGE CROP The total Brazilian 2023–24 orange crop is forecast at 408 million 40.8-kilogram boxes, equivalent to 16.5 million metric tons (MMT). This is a decrease of 1.03% from the …

orange juice

Orange and Grapefruit Juice Sales Still Up

Ernie NeffMarket, Orange Juice

In a June 19 email to members of the citrus industry, Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) Chairman Ned Hancock noted that orange juice (OJ) sales climbed in the 2019-20 season. That’s noteworthy because OJ sales had been declining for years. Hancock reported that total OJ sales for the season beginning October 2019 are up by 10.4 percent with 309 million equivalent …

Oranges

Working Toward Better Juice Oranges

Ernie NeffAll In For Citrus Podcast, Orange Juice

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) geneticist and plant breeder Jude Grosser discusses the need for new juice oranges and some new cultivar choices. Grosser says one reason for new varieties is the decline in orange juice sales. “In my opinion, the best way to combat that is to have a higher quality orange juice that’s …

European Union

Orange Imports Increase as Domestic Juice Supply Remains Squeezed

Tacy CalliesIndustry News Release

Until a solution for citrus greening is found, imports will be key to keeping Florida’s citrus industry afloat. Domestic orange production has been declining steadily over the last two decades, with citrus greening disease being the leading cause of decreased acres and productivity. As the gap between domestic production and consumption has widened, imports have increased to boost dwindling domestic …

pulp

Orange Pulp Gains Status as Valuable Raw Material

Daniel CooperBrazil

Orange pulp — long treated as a waste product of the citrus industry — has been gaining new status as a valuable raw material. Composed of peels, seeds and fibers, this material — previously destined primarily for animal feed — is also known as citrus bagasse. Brazilian citrus association Fundecitrus reports that companies in the citrus industry have been investing …

king

OJ Remains King of Fruit Juice

Daniel CooperFlorida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus

Steve Johnson, who was reappointed chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) in January, recently declared that “100% orange juice (OJ) remains king of the fruit juice category.”  Johnson cited information from Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) Director of Economic and Market Research Marisa Zansler about how the beverage category shifted in 2025 compared to the previous year. Despite Johnson …

Türkiye

Türkiye Orange and OJ Production Forecast

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

A U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) forecast for citrus in Türkiye in 2025–26 included a report on oranges and orange juice (OJ). ORANGES Orange production is forecast to decrease 15% to around 1.3 million metric tons (MMT). This is due to severe frost occurring in spring 2025. The most popular orange types in Türkiye are Washington …

production

Europe’s Orange and OJ Production to Decline

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) recently forecast European Union (EU) orange and orange juice (OJ) production and trade for 2025–26. ORANGES EU orange production is projected at just above 5.6 million metric tons (MMT), down from the 5.9 MMT orange crop in 2024–25. Orange production is the largest citrus category within the EU. Spain accounts …

Costa Rican

Costa Rican Orange Production Forecast

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

After an 11% fall in Costa Rican orange production in 2024–25, production is forecast to increase 10% in 2025–26 to 220,000 metric tons (MT). This projection is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). PRODUCERS AND PROCESSORS Two companies, TicoFrut and Del Oro, control most of the production and practically all processing of oranges in Costa …

Griffin

OLL Orange Varieties Revisited at Griffin’s Grove

Daniel CooperEvents, Rootstocks, Varieties

Last September, Jason Griffin hosted a field day in his citrus grove near Lake Alfred in partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). The event was well attended, and some growers requested a second field day when the crop was closer to harvest. Griffin and UF/IFAS hosted a second event in late January as …

Florida Citrus Commission Hears Juice Trends and Appoints Leadership

Tacy CalliesFlorida Citrus Commission, Florida Department of Citrus, Orange Juice

The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) on Jan. 21 received updates on citrus industry economic issues and appointed a chair and vice-chair. The FCC, whose members are appointed by Florida’s governor, is the governing board for the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC).   ORANGE JUICE (OJ)OJ retail sales trends for the four-week period through Dec. 27, 2025 show the price per …

Egyptian

Egyptian Orange Crop to Increase

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

Egyptian orange production in 2025–26 is forecast to increase by around 15% from the prior year to 4 million metric tons (MMT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported.  Oranges account for 80% of all citrus production in Egypt, which ranks among the world’s top 10 orange producers. PLANTED AREA The orange acreage in Egypt is …

South African

South African Orange and OJ Production Forecast

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA/FAS) recently forecast production and trade for South African oranges and orange juice (OJ) in 2025–26. ORANGES South Africa’s 2025–26 orange production is forecast to increase by 1% from 2024–25, to 1,850 million metric tons (MMT). The orange planted area is projected to increase by 2% in 2025–26, reaching 46,000 hectares. Valencias …

China’s

China’s Orange and OJ Production to Increase

Daniel CooperCrop Forecast, International

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) has forecast China’s orange and orange juice (OJ) production and trade levels for the 2025–26 season. ORANGES China’s orange production is forecast at 7.68 million metric tons (MMT), up slightly from the prior season’s 7.62 MMT. Oranges are grown on 816,500 hectares. China is expected to import 161,000 MT of …

peel

Turning Orange Peel Into Heart-Healthy Gold

Daniel CooperResearch

For every gallon of Florida orange juice produced, nearly an equal amount of peel is left behind. Traditionally, this material has been used for cattle feed or compost. New research from Yu Wang and Hyun Jeong Jung at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center suggests a far more valuable use. …

brassinosteroids

Planning This Season’s Use of Brassinosteroids for Better Juice Quality

Daniel CooperHLB Management, Tip of the Week

By Fernando Alferez and Divya Aryal Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of plant growth regulators with several effects on plant growth and development. They engage in crosstalk with other hormones like auxin, gibberellins, ethylene and abscisic acid, influencing all plant growth and development aspects including fruit maturation, but the timing of this effect appears to be short and tightly regulated. …

study

Study Says 100% Fruit Juice Fills Nutrition Role

Daniel CooperOrange Juice, Research

A recent study reveals that consuming 100% fruit juice is a marker for healthier diet choices and does not displace whole fruit consumption. The study, published in Nutrients on Aug. 21, explored the consumption patterns of 100% fruit juice and diluted juice with the goal of better understanding its relationship to diet quality. Population groups in the study included consideration …