Large EU citrus crop in 2018/19 campaign

The EU’s 2018/19 citrus production is estimated at 11.6 million tons, up 8% from 2017/18. The main contributor to this rise is the large Spanish crop that resulted from favourable weather conditions.  Indeed, Spain’s citrus output climbed 14.6% to reach 7.3 million tons. The quality of the crop is expected to be excellent. EU orange production is forecast at 6.5 million tons, up 4% due to increased volumes in Spain and Portugal. EU lemon production is estimated to be up 10% to 1.6 million tons, while EU grapefruit production is expected to increase by 2.8% to 110,000 tons.

However, things are not all positive for Spanish citrus, as producers have to deal with cheaper imports from South Africa and Egypt. Demand in the EU is expected to remain flat this year. It is suggested that the rise in EU citrus volumes may lead to a lowering in imports from third countries. The EU exports citrus to Canada, the Middle East and China.