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[Press Release] WCO Publishes Annual Northern Hemisphere Citrus Production Forecast

November 10, 2020

This content has been modified from its original version. It has been edited for content and style, as well as to follow Produce Report editorial guidelines and for necessary website formatting.

The World Citrus Organisation Secretariat has released its first crop production forecast for the upcoming 2020/21 Northern Hemisphere citrus season. The data for this preliminary forecast were collected from industry associations in Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and the U.S. (California and Florida).

The preliminary forecast indicates that the 2020/21 Northern Hemisphere citrus crop is expected to reach 28,737,570 tons, which represents a slight decrease of 1% compared to the 2019 crop. This decreased volume is attributable to variation of the crops of several countries compared to last year, as well as the impact of the droughts recorded in several production regions throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

In terms of citrus categories, most categories are anticipated to display decreases in production: oranges are expected to decrease by 2%, lemons by 7% and grapefruits by 9%. The only category with an increased production volume compared to last year is soft citrus (+5%). In terms of production by region, European production is expected to witness an increase in volume, with 12% increases predicted for both Italy and Spain and a 1% decrease forecast for Greece. On the opposite side of the Mediterranean, the crop forecasts for Egypt (+8%), Israel (−4%) and Turkey (−15%) are lower than the 2019 volumes. On the other hand, increased citrus crops are expected this year for Morocco (+13%) and Tunisia (+20%) compared to last year’s figures. Meanwhile, U.S. production is forecast to decrease by 9% compared to 2019, with volumes in California and Florida expected to decrease by 5% and 14%, respectively.

The WCO presented this forecast on Nov. 5 during the first edition of the Global Citrus Congress, which was jointly arranged by the World Citrus Organisation and Fruitnet. With its attendance of more than 1,000 delegates, the congress provided the perfect opportunity to present these latest global production figures and trade trends, highlight the importance of sustainability in citrus production and promote global citrus consumption.

  %2020/2019 2020 2019
Soft citrus (tons) +5% 8,028,921 7,627,561
Oranges (tons) −2% 16,079,673 16,394,572
Lemons (tons) −7% 3,840,985 4,136,135
Grapefruits (tons) −9% 787,991 867,355
All citrus (tons) −1% 28,737,570 29,027,853

Image: Pixabay

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