Italy’s orange production forecast to fall by 10% in 2017/18 campaign

Europe’s second largest orange producer, Italy, expects to see drops in production of orange and tangerine by 10% and 5% this campaign compared to 2015/16 mainly owing to the summer drought.  Late September rains helped the crop recover and develop a high-quality product and medium calibres. Meanwhile, the country’s lemon production is forecast to remain stable.

The main orange varieties grown in Italy are Tarocco, Moro, Sanguinello, Naveline and Valencia, but Ippolito and Meli are also developing a market. Rainfall in September and October 2016 led to Italy’s 2016/17 orange production surpassing the 2015/16 levels. Fruit calibres and quality were excellent. The country’s production calendar was extended by the addition of high-quality new varieties.

In 2015/16, Italy’s orange imports plummeted by 33% to 145,733 tons, mainly as a result of a drop in shipments from Spain (-51%). Italy’s orange exports in 2015/16 rose by 18% to 143,796 tons, mainly thanks to a sharp rise in demand from Germany (+27%), Switzerland (+11%), Austria (+23%), and France (+43%).