Production of oranges in Costa Rica is expected to rebound to high levels during the 2008/09 campaign, according to a new GAIN report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This season's crop is expected to reach 7.5m 40.824kg boxes, a 13.6 per cent jump on the previous year's total of 6.6m boxes.
The increase will come despite poor growing conditions, including rains that induced flowering in Los Chiles followed by drought conditions resulting in fruit loss.
The USDA attributed the growth to new trees coming into production this year leading to higher outputs, as well as larger producers growing new varieties that allow the planting of larger number of trees per hectare.
Planted area currently stands at 20,000ha and 6.8m orange trees, according to industry estimates.
