A joint report released by the Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters (SHAFFE) and Freshfel Europe has revealed that citrus production in Southern Hemisphere countries is forecast to fall by 4.7 per cent to 6.96m tonnes in 2009.
Subsequent exports to all destinations are in turn expected to drop by 5.5 per cent, down on last year’s figures, to reach 2.31m tonnes, the report said.
Argentina and Uruguay are both forecasting a 13 per cent decrease in citrus production, the report continued, with Peru anticipating a year-on-year drop in total yields of 2 per cent.
Conversely, Australia, South Africa and Chile are all expecting increases in production of 6 per cent, 3 per cent and 2 per cent respectively.
On this basis, oranges (down 6.9 per cent), easy peelers (down 11.4 per cent) and lemons (down 1.5 per cent) will have lower production compared with 2008, while grapefruit production is forecast to soar by 7 per cent on last year.
Citrus exports from SHAFFE countries are forecast to drop 5.5 per cent, with lemon (down 18.4 per cent) and easy peeler exports (down 5.3 per cent) the big fallers.
