Argentine citrus fruits: Production and export update

The latest semi-annual Argentine citrus report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), updated the South American country's fresh lemon production at 1,700 metric tons (MT) for the marketing year (MY) 2023-2024. In a previous estimate, the entity put citrus production at 1,907 MT. This revision, the report indicates, is attributed to unexpected weather conditions, such as higher than usual temperatures and rain during harvest, which had an impact on the size of the fruit, as well as damage to numerous trees. Although the size of the lemon is smaller, reducing total production, producers expect high quality fruit. Likewise, the citrus harvest began 30 days later than normal, also due to climatic factors. “Despite these challenges, the lemon sector has seen significant investments in new production techniques and technology over the last decade. In particular, between 70 and 75% of Argentina's total lemon production is destined ...