Navel orange production also estimated up slightly, although it remains below the ten-year average
California expects a major increase in mandarin production, as well as a modest rise in Navel orange output, this season.
Initial estimates released by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), in cooperation with the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, suggest the state will turn out 29m cartons (40lb) of Tango and W Murcott Afourer mandarin varieties, up 8m cartons on last year.
Tree fruit set and diameter were both up, it added, noting that this was only the second full-year production forecast. Planted area is said to be up 2,000 acres from the previous year.
For Navels, meanwhile, the forecast suggests 78m cartons, up 2 per cent on the previous campaign.
“Forecasted utilised production exceeds last year’s final production but is still below the 10-year average,” the group noted.
“Smallest diameter size in the last 20 years at the time of publishing. This could be because of the extreme heat spells over the summer.
“We utilised so much fruit last year because of the large size structure, whereas this year, it figures to be more balanced.”
