Spain: Certain citrus sizes used to go to industry are now needed for the fresh market

Published Dec 23, 2022

Tridge summary

Spain, the largest citrus producer in the EU and the world's leading exporter, is experiencing a significant drop in yields, leading to a reduction in fruit available for the juice industry. This season's yield is expected to be down by nearly 30% due to adverse weather and the decision to leave oranges on the tree from the previous year's bountiful harvest. The province of Seville, which grows 44% of the region's sweet oranges, is experiencing a nearly 40% decrease. With Brazil leading the world in orange juice production and Europe not being self-sufficient in orange juice, there is potential for promoting sustainable production in Spain. The country's oranges, both for the fresh market and the juice industry, meet all European quality guarantees.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Spain is the largest citrus producer in the European Union and the world's largest exporter of this fruit. "Our country harvests about 7 million tons of citrus, of which about 600,000 go to the processing industry every year," says a branch operator. "This year, as we all know, there is a significant drop in yields that will affect the amount of fruit going to the juice industry. In general, the juice industry in Spain takes all fruit that cannot be marketed fresh , with the exception of some specific cultivation projects intended solely for processing." "The product that cannot be sold on the fresh market represents approximately between 10 and 30% of a farm's harvest. That is the percentage that the juice industry can count on every year. But in a season like the current one, with almost 30% fewer oranges on the trees, sizes that used to go to the juice industry are now going to the fresh market. It's going to be a difficult season for us." Last year the situation was completely ...

Source: AGF