Chilean citrus exports expected to rise 17% thanks to new orchards and replenished reservoirs

Abundant rainfall has increased water availability in Chile and allowed an expansion in the area planted of citrus. Likewise, citrus exports are expected to increase by 17% for the 2017-2018 season, according to the Citrus Committee of Chile-ASOEX. The greatest increase to will be for tangerines (+32%, 101,000 tons), followed by oranges (84,000 tons, +12%) and clementines (52,000 tons, +27%). Lemon exports will also rise by 1% to 78,100 tons.

The main driver of increased export volume of mandarins is the entry into production of new orchards, helped by the greater availability of water following last winter’s rains.