Argentina enjoys bumper citrus crop

Argentina’s 2021/22 fresh lemon crop is projected to reach 1.9 million tons, up by 15%, thanks to favourable weather conditions. According to USDA data, fresh orange production is forecast to increase to 920,000 tons, and fresh tangerine production is expected to rise to 400,000 tons. The recent relatively favourable weather conditions for both sweet citrus fruits have allowed trees to recuperate from a stressful period of drought followed by heavy rains. Lemon exports are projected to increase to 250,000 tons due to the larger crop, while tangerine exports are expected to increase slightly to 65,000 tons and orange shipments to 88,000 tons. However, container availability shortages and higher fleet costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and global inflation have doubled the costs of exporting.