W23: Orange Update

In W23 in the orange landscape, it was reported that Chile is anticipating a 6.1% increase in orange production and a 4.7% increase in exports for the MY 2022/23 season. The prices of the primary citrus fruits in the Brazilian market dropped in May 2023 due to the supply of oranges and tangerines increasing at this time of year. The Metropolitana and O'Higgins regions are the top orange-producing regions, with 39.3% and 31.3% of the area planted respectively. The orange marketing year starts in April-23, with exports occurring between July and September and peaking around August. Metropolitana and O'Higgins regions are the top orange-producing regions, with 39.3% and 31.3% of the area planted respectively.

In Brazil, the value of oranges declined due to the harvest of early varieties and the availability of pear oranges outside the optimal period. Citrus consumption decreased due to cooler temperatures in the southern and southeastern regions of Brazil. In addition, the demand for oranges in Brazil was slow due to cold weather, but prices began to rise due to an increase in demand. The pear variety had an average of USD 8.84/40.8kg box (BRL 43/40.8kg box), a 0.4% WoW increase in price. The Argentina citrus industry expects processing for mandarin and the Clementine variety to soon begin exports to the United States. However, there are challenges such as the US dollar and Argentine Peso exchange rate, the reduction of rainfall in the summer, and a period of 40 days with temperatures above normal. This has had an impact on the overall production of Argentine lemons, oranges, and mandarins.

Citrus greening, also known as HLB, has caused a 75% decrease in production in Florida since 2005, with 80% of trees tested positive. Georgia state citrus industry is expanding to evade the areas affected by the disease, as a preventive measure. Chongqing's agricultural products export value reached USD 33 million (RMB 240 million) in 2023, with blood oranges from Qingliu Town reaching international markets. Fengjie navel oranges are also accelerating their export pace, with 10 tons of Fengjie navel oranges taking a flight to RCEP member countries and 50 tons being shipped to Vietnam.

The orange market is expected to become stronger until August arrivals in Europe. The new cooling protocol and stricter phytosanitary rules are restricting the supply, leading to a low supply. The European Union (EU) has raised the controls for the import of Egyptian oranges and other foods from different countries due to a high rate of non-compliance with pesticide residue contamination. It includes shipments of peppers and oranges from Egypt. Meanwhile, orange juice is a leading commodity consumed by millions of people, mostly from Brazil, China, US, India, and Mexico. The recent data shows it dropped by 7.5% from its highest point in 2023, making it the third-best performing commodity in 2023..