Following a successful year for the Turkish citrus sector in 2011, the country is braced for a tougher 2012 season due to frost, heavy rain and strong wind during the spring blossoming period.
Such weather conditions have forced experts to anticipate a decline in production of many citrus varieties.
Grapefruit volumes are forecast at 150,000 tonnes, down by around 40 per cent, with crops severely affected in the Cukurova region, which is responsible for 70 per cent of all Turkish citrus production.
Lemons are also expected to be down, by around 25 per cent to 635,000 tonnes, while oranges could see a decrease of 20 per cent to 1.39m tonnes.
According to figures from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), tangerine production has been the least affected by the unfavourable conditions, with volumes predicted to be stable at 870,000 tonnes.
Despite the general decline, citrus quality is anticipated to remain high, but political disturbances in neighbouring markets such as Syria are expected to impact on trade this season.
Last year, Russia and Iraq were the top export destinations for Turkish oranges, lemons and mandarins, with Qatar and Russia leading for grapefruits. Meanwhile, Ukraine, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Romania continued to be important customers.
Orange exports increased by 7 per cent in 2011 to 352,000 tonnes, while grapfruit exports rose by 16 per cent to 178,000 tonnes.
Although tangerine exports saw a slight lift to 474,000 tonnes, lemon exports were down by around 6 per cent to 429,000 tonnes.
Given the difficulties anticipated this season, the Turkish government is expected to continue providing export subsidies to citrus exporters, according to the FAS.
