Italy’s citrus crop set to fall by up to 10%

This year’s citrus production in Italy has been hit by adverse weather conditions and phytosanitary problems, which have also resulted in smaller sizes. The warm winter during flowering damaged the plants, while the prolonged summer heat and drought decreased sizes and triggered outbreaks of the Tristeza virus in Sicily. Another issue facing Italian producers are their rising production costs stemming partly from the need for more prolonged irrigation. Another trend observed in both Italy and Spain during recent campaigns is that some producers are quitting the producer organisations as they are able to secure better prices on their own.

Good mandarin prices in Croatia

Elsewhere, Croatia wasn’t spared the adverse weather conditions, with spring frosts and tornados hitting the country. Nevertheless, good prices have been recorded for mandarins, which are the Balkan country’s most important citrus fruit.