As global lemon prices fall under the weight of excess volumes, one report suggests producers in Tucumán might look to fill gaps in the orange juice market
Overproduction of lemons in the Argentinean region of Tucumán has apparently prompted some growers to consider switching to oranges, according to a report published by Bichos de Campo.
Orange juice prices are currently at an all-time high, as a result of a major decreases in production in Brazil, the US state of Florida, and to a lesser extent Mexico over the past few years.
“Lemon growing is going through an unprecedented crisis of oversupply at a global level, of which we are part,” commented agronomist Hernán Salas López. “Several countries have grown in surface area and production, and unfortunately the markets have not reacted in the same way, therefore today the prices of both fresh fruit and industrial derivatives are not ideal, by any means.”
However, he told the website growers would have to be wary of the bacterial infection citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), which has contributed to the downturn in supply elsewhere.
“In the face of this crisis, some producers are hoping to get into orange production here in [northwest Argentina], given that the two main orange juice supplying powers worldwide, which are Brazil and the US, have HLB problems,” he added.
“The state of Florida has reduced its production by approximately 80-85 per cent in the last ten years, and Brazil is holding on but with many difficulties.”
