European Union orange prices have increased 13 per cent year on year since March as the forecast harvest is set to be down 14 per cent from last season, to 5.7m tonnes.
Lower production is mainly due to poor fruit setting caused by a lack of early-season rain, said commodities data firm Mintec. Record breaking temperatures in June and July, which affected Valencia, Spain’s main producing region, reduced fruit yields.
Production of early varieties of mandarins in Valencia in 2015-16 might fall by 40 per cent compared to the previous year, according to the local grower’s association.
The growers said intense heat on May 21 made fruit fall off trees. Production of late variety mandarins is forecast to be 20-25 per cent less than last season. In the citrus sector overall, the growers’ first assessment suggests the reduction in harvest should will be around 20 per cent.
Italy’s citrus production for 2014-15 season is expected to be 24 per cent down due to a lack of water and Citrus tristeza virus, a report by the US Department of Agriculture’s foreign agricultural service said. About 32,000 hectares of orange groves in Catania and Siracusa were affected by CTV.
Tangerine production for 2014-15 season is expected to drop by 15 per cent from the previous season while lemon production is expected to stay relatively stable, with a 2 per cent increase over the previous season’s crop.