The EU is projected to produce 9.9 million tons of citrus in the 2023/2024 season, a volume similar to the previous campaign but below the historical average

The combination of drought, irrigation limitations and unusually high temperatures during the flowering and fruit setting phases have limited the citrus production potential in the community countries of the European Union (EU) in the 2023/2024 season, which is projected to remain at similar levels to those of the also limited 2022/2023 harvest. The increase in the production of lemons and grapefruits offsets the reduction recorded in the production of oranges, mandarins and clementines. Imports continue to gain share in a context of weak demand driven by inflation. In the 2023/2024 season, total EU citrus production is expected to amount to 9.9 million tonnes, very similar to the levels of the previous campaign, but below the historical average. However, this stability hides divergent trends between the different citrus categories. Oranges and mandarins/clementines, which together represent almost 85% of EU citrus production, respectively recorded a decrease of -2% and -5%. In ...