After carrying out an analysis for all the Spanish citrus producing areas, the organization Unión de Uniones de Agricultores y Ganaderos estimates that the citrus harvest in the 2023-2024 campaign will fall below 5.8 million tons. "While last season we already had the lowest of the last seven, with 5.99 million tons, in this one the decline may be even greater. The drop in the production will affect small citrus fruits (mandarins and clementines) and oranges, while the lemon and grapefruit production should rise."

"This decline in the production capacity is due to several factors, including the concatenation of various inclement weather events in the late winter and spring this year. High temperatures and low humidity in March and April also hindered the fruit setting and caused a massive drop of fruit. The drought in Andalusia is also a key factor behind the reduction of the national production, and given the restrictions in irrigation water allocations, the harvest will be reduced again, especially that of oranges. Other factors that have also taken their toll are the impact of pests, the fact that a significant part of the acreage corresponds to old trees with lower yields, and the growing abandonment of fields due to the low profitability achieved in recent years."

"The reality for many Spanish citrus growers is that it's increasingly difficult for them to obtain optimal yields as a result of weather events and the age of many of their trees."

"For Unión de Uniones, it is important to ensure good plant health and efficient pest control, so that no fruit will become unmarketable due to the impact of pests. These circumstances, combined with the disproportionate increase in production costs (power, fertilizers, diesel, labor, phytosanitary treatments, etc.,) have led to a gradual decapitalization of citrus growers in recent years."

"Since the fruit volumes will be similar to those of last year and there will be shortages at specific times, prices at origin should be good and remain stable if the demand falls within normal parameters. The concern is that another low harvest may allow other countries to take advantage and gain market share in the European Union."

The agricultural organization considers it "essential" to carry out promotional campaigns for our citrus fruits in order to tackle a declining consumption. For this reason, it has already repeatedly asked the Ministry of Agriculture to carry out promotional campaigns, both within the European Union and in third countries, to change the current trend.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com