European citrus crop recovery estimated at 10.4%

In 2020/21, EU citrus production is likely to grow by 10.4% compared to the previous season and amount to 11.7 million tonnes. The favorable weather conditions in the European citrus-growing areas contributed to this recovery. The increased local supply, strong demand for citrus during the pandemic and the reopening of the catering industry will boost EU citrus exports, but have little effect on imports. Spain is a major supplier of citrus to the EU market. Switzerland, Norway and Serbia, followed by Canada, Brazil and the Middle East are strategic export markets outside the EU. In 2019/20, the additional tariffs had an impact on US-EU citrus trade. Other issues arising from trade agreements and boycotts may also affect the global citrus trade. The orange harvest in the EU is estimated at 6.5 tons in 2020/21. This is 5.2% higher than the previous season, but 0.4% lower than previously estimated. The production of orange juice in the EU is expected to increase by almost 25% ...