Egyptian oranges lead exports from the African continent

Weather problems and the imposition of cold treatment by the European Commission severely affected South African citrus exports last year. This unfavorable situation cost the nation its throne as the continent's first orange exporter. According to an analysis shared by Fedecitrus, the good growth presented by Egyptian oranges would have contributed to positioning this industry as the new leader in the category. A Dec. 19 report from the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) forecasts South African orange production to decline by 1% in 2024. Trade is expected to increase just 2% as poor fruit quality would affect export figures. On the other hand, for the 2023-24 campaign, the FAS office in Cairo expects orange production to increase by 3%. Additionally, the report points to a 25% growth in Egypt's fresh orange exports, up to 2 million metric tons. For its part, the FAS forecasts that South Africa will export 1.37 million tons. In 2021-22, both countries had around 1.3 million ...