On August 28, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) published its Citrus Semi-Annual Report for Argentina. The report outlined the following:
- Lemon production for marketing year (MY) 2022-23 is forecast to decline by 6.5% to 1.65 million metric tons (MT), with subsequent lower exports, down to 200,000 MT. Similarly, planted lemon area is expected to decrease by 13% to 111,197 acres, due to overproduction in the previous two years.
- Orange production in MY 2022-23 is forecast to decline by 13% to 623,000 MT, although planted area is expected to remain steady. Orange exports are projected to decrease slightly to 55,000 MT.
- Tangerine production is expected to decline by 18% to 285,000 MT, although planted area is forecast to stay static. Due to lower production, exports are projected to decrease 30,000 MT, down from the previous estimate of 57,000 MT.
These forecasts have all been reduced from earlier estimates due to unfavorable weather conditions such as drought, which caused smaller yield and fruit size. Rising costs for fertilizers, pesticides, and labor have also contributed to this decline.
Argentina’s export destinations continue to become more diversified, shifting from the EU and Russia to the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, as well as beginning to establish a presence in Asian markets.
Read the full report here.
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