Fall 2024
Global Citrus Market Update Shared
This production is broken down as follows (numbers in parentheses indicate a decrease in production compared to previous estimates)
36.47 M cases of Hamlin, Westin and Ruby varieties (-1.8%);
14.89 M cases of Valencia Americana, Seleta, Pineapple and Alvarada varieties (-5.3%);
634,200 boxes of Pera Rio variety (-10.6%);
743,900 boxes of Valencia and Valencia Folha Murcha varieties (-8.8%);
266,100 boxes of Natal variety (-1.4%).
The crop reduction was due to smaller fruit sizes, a direct consequence of the hot and dry weather. 264 fruits were needed for a 40.8 kg box, 23 more than estimated in May. This means that the average weight of sweet oranges is expected to be 155 grams, down from an initial estimate of 169 grams. According to Climatempo, the weather forecast for the first four months of the May crop season was worse than expected, with rainfall down 31%. In addition, high temperatures in the fall and winter intensified evapotranspiration and increased the severity of the drought. Higher temperatures also accelerated fruit ripening. This led to a faster harvest. As a result, oranges have a shorter development period and more than half of the crop will be harvested under drought conditions.
The harvest is expected to have a positive effect on reducing fruit drop, mainly due to reduced fruit drop from greening.
Fundecitrus' annual survey of HLB in Brazil shows an increase in disease incidence in the São Paulo Citrus Belt and Triângulo/Southwest Mineiro from 38.06% in 2023 to 44.35% in 2024. This is the seventh consecutive year that the disease has increased.
HLB has been detected in approximately 90.36 million trees. there are a total of 203.74 million orange trees in the Citrus Belt.
Improved actions recommended by Fundecitrus and implemented by citrus growers in woodlouse control practices have recently been observed. These practices include the use of more efficient products, insecticide rotations with different modes of action, shorter application intervals, and improved spray quality.
In addition, 4 years ago, there were fresh fallen fruits that were not harvested as this constituted a high labor cost. In addition, 4 years ago, under good fertilization conditions, production was between 35 and 40 tons/ha, but today it is between 5 and 8 tons/ha. In other words, production has decreased and producers can no longer make a living from this activity.
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