Another small citrus crop estimated in Spain

After an analysis of all Spanish citrus growing areas, trade association Unión de Uniones de Agricultores y Ganaderos estimates the citrus harvest for 2023-2024 to be below 5.8 million tons. "If last season's 5.99 million tons was the lowest figure of the last seven years, it could be even less this year. We expect a lower yield for small citrus (mandarins and clementines) and orange, but slightly more for lemon and grapefruit." "The limited yield is due to several factors, including the succession of bad weather conditions since the end of winter. For example, the high temperatures and low humidity in March and April hampered fruit set and caused a massive fruit loss. The drought in Andalusia is also an important factor. After the restrictions in the allocation of irrigation water, the harvest of mainly oranges will be hit again. Other factors are the lower commercial utilization rate of the fruit due to pest pressure, the fact that part of the acreage consists of old trees with ...