Mixed outlook for citrus sector

Over the coming years, the global citrus sector is likely to see strong competition between oranges and soft citrus. There is sure to be diversification of varieties, with old cultivars replaced by ones that offer greater convenience (e.g. seedless, easy peelers). Spanish orange production is coming under greater pressure from South Africa, Morocco and Egypt. As for soft citrus, the extended calendars are likely to result in seasonal overlap between Northern Hemisphere late varieties and Southern Hemisphere early varieties. The lemon sector is set to see a significant increase in production over the next five years in the main producing countries, with Spain investing more in this trendy segment. Finally, grapefruit is set to continue its decline, with production shrinking in both the US and EU, leaving South Africa the undisputed king of the segment. As is the case with the rest of the fruit sector, much will depend on how global trade conflicts pan out, particularly the fall-out of Brexit, the US-China trade dispute and the Russian embargo.