USDA’s citrus world markets and trade report published

The USDA's Citrus World Markets and Trade report, released on July 27, 2022, provides an overview of production estimates and trade trends for major citrus producing countries. Focusing on South Africa, the report forecasts a 6% increase in fresh orange production to 1.6 million tons for the 2021/22 season, with harvested acreage expected to rise by 2% to over 43,000 hectares. Despite this growth, the shift from orange production to mandarins in the Western Cape and Limpopo regions will partially offset the increase. South Africa is projected to remain the world's second-largest orange exporter in 2021/22, with exports expected to grow by 5% to a record 1.36 million tons, largely due to the European Union continuing as the largest export market, despite challenges with Citrus Black Spot and False Codling Moth. The report also highlights a shift towards mandarin exports to the United States, with farmers in the U.S. market re-planting from oranges to mandarins and new orange varieties in response to market preferences and higher premiums.