The citrus industry is not immune to the trade imbalance that is impacting the ag industry across the United States. From 2000 to 2013, the United States exported more citrus than it imported. However, the imbalance began in 2014 and worsened every year through 2023, equating to a deficit of 26 million boxes. The staggering statistics are reflective of the …
Brazilian Orange Juice and Trade
Orange juice processing and trade are among topics addressed in a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA FAS) report on Brazilian citrus. Approximately 80% of Brazilian orange production is used for juice processing, and 20% goes to the market as fresh fruit, USDA FAS reported. Orange juice production is concentrated in the state of São Paulo, followed by Minas Gerais. …
Citrus Industry Members to Advise on Trade
Several members of the U.S. citrus industry have been appointed or re-appointed to the federal Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables. They include James Cranney Jr. of California Citrus Quality Council, Casey Creamer of California Citrus Mutual, Melissa Frank-Poole of The Wonderful Company, Dale Murden of Texas Citrus Mutual and Daniel Richey of Riverfront Packing Company. …
Oranges and OJ in China: Production and Trade
Orange production in China is expected to increase in 2022–23 over the prior year, while its orange juice (OJ) production is forecast to decline. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDAFAS). ORANGESChina’s orange production in 2022–23 is forecast to reach 7.6 million metric tons (MMT), up from 7.55 MMT the prior year. The …
Mexican Orange Production and Trade
Mexican orange production in 2022–23 is forecast at 4.2 million metric tons (MMT), 9% lower than the previous year, due to prolonged drought in northeastern Mexico. The forecast was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). Mexico is estimated to be the fifth-largest orange producer in the world behind Brazil, China, India and the United …
Australia Orange Juice Production and Trade
Orange juice (OJ) production in Australia in 2022–23 is forecast at 16,100 metric tons (MT), a decrease of 2% from the 2021–22 season’s 16,500 MT. In 2020–21, the country’s OJ production reached 17,400 MT. The 2022–23 forecast was made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS). The planted area of juicing orange varieties, accounting for 36% …
Orange Juice in Europe: Production, Consumption and Trade
European Union (EU) orange juice (OJ) production is forecast at 70,390 metric tons (MT) in 2021–22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service reported. That’s a drop of almost 10% compared to the previous period due to the expected decline in EU orange supply. Spain is the major orange processor in the EU, followed by Italy. Approximately 20% of …
Citrus Showcase Speaker Predicts Trade War Ahead
Geopolitcal expert Peter Zeihan was the keynote speaker for the recent California Citrus Mutual Showcase. The showcase was presented March 4 online. Zeihan said he believes North America will recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19 this year, but the rest of the world will not. That, along with other factors, leads him to predict a trade war is inevitable, …
Trade Issues for Fresh Florida Citrus
Dan Richey, president of Riverfront Packing Company, gave an update on trade issues impacting fresh Florida citrus during the recent virtual citrus Packinghouse Day meeting. Richey, also a member of the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee, says foreign sales are especially important for Florida citrus. One of the biggest topics of trade conversation is the effects on the market since the …
Growers to Offer Trade Input
The Trump administration will hold two hearings in August with seasonal produce growers to discuss foreign trade policies that may be harming farmers. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, recently announced the hearings planned for 9 a.m. Aug. 13 and Aug. 20. At the hearings, officials from the federal agencies will hear from farmers …
Trade Issues Update for Fresh Citrus
Dan Richey, president of Riverfront Packing Company, gave an update on trade issues impacting fresh Florida citrus at the Aug. 19 Citrus Packinghouse Day in Lake Alfred. Foreign sales are extremely important for fresh Florida citrus, says Richey, a member for five years of the Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee, appointed jointly by the U.S. secretary of agriculture and the U.S. …
European Union Trade Breakthrough for U.S. Citrus
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Acting U.S. Trade Representative Stephen Vaughn announced that the European Union (EU) has amended its requirements for imports of U.S. citrus. Specifically, the EU has dropped its requirement that U.S. groves be surveyed for citrus canker, which eases entry of U.S. citrus into the EU market and saves growers millions of dollars in …
Egyptian Orange Crop to Increase
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 …
USDA Research Priorities Cite Citrus Greening
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently issued a directive about its research and development priorities. The priorities, which cite citrus greening in item 3, are: 1. INCREASING PROFITABILITY OF FARMERS AND RANCHERS While research to increase productivity has allowed American farmers and ranchers to provide the safest, most abundant and most affordable food and fiber supply, the volatility in …
South African Orange and OJ Production Forecast
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 …
Peruvian Mandarin Production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) projects Peruvian tangerine/mandarin production in 2025–26 at 570,000 metric tons (MT), the same as the prior year. VARIETIES Tangerine/mandarin varieties in Peru include: The market for exports is dominated by easy peelers and seedless varieties including Murcott, Tango, Primosole, Clementine, Minneola and Orri. Peru’s main harvest season runs from March …
China’s Orange and OJ Production to Increase
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 …
Register Today for the Florida Citrus Show
The Florida Citrus Show is scheduled for Thursday, March 12. The event will be held at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Indian River Research and Education Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce. The Florida Citrus Show combines educational seminars for both citrus …
Mexfly Quarantines Impact Commercial Citrus in Texas
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) recently established and expanded Mexican fruit fly (Mexfly) quarantine areas in Texas. PEÑITAS QUARANTINE On Dec. 12, the agencies established a Mexfly quarantine in Peñitas, Hidalgo County, designated as the Peñitas quarantine. This quarantine was established in response to the confirmed …
Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo: You Spoke; We Listened!
By Robin Loftin In 2023, when the Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo was forced to leave the Lee Civic Center and Fort Myers, AgNet Media shared your disappointment. Like many of you, we hoped and prayed that one day we would have the opportunity to return. Today, we are thrilled to announce that those prayers have been answered. The 2026 …




























