Australia: Citrus Annual

Early seasonal conditions for the MY 2023/24 citrus crop have been favorable, and producers expect to benefit from an easing of fertilizer and crop protection chemical costs, along with a further easing of labor constraints. Orange production is expected to increase five percent to 530,000 metric tons (MT) from the prior’s year estimate, the second highest over the last two decades. Tangerine/mandarin production is forecast at 180,000 MT, the third highest on record. Orange exports are forecast to increase by 13 percent to 180,000 MT, and tangerine/mandarin exports are expected to reach 85,000 MT for MY 2023/24. Orange juice production is forecast to fall by four percent to 15,400 MT, mainly due to the anticipated improvement of fresh (navel) orange fruit quality, while imports are forecast to remain stable at 14,000 MT.