Low citrus prices in Europe have made it a tough year for growers. Higher than normal temperatures during winter affected consumption, adding to the season's woes.
According to a report by the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service, there's stagnant consumption of citrus in the European Union. The report cited higher than normal temperatures as contributing to the low consumption, which has made it a tough year for growers. Because input costs have continued to increase, lagging demand coupled with low prices have forced some growers to opt for more profitable crops, especially in Spain's orange-growing regions in Valencia.
Orange production in Europe is expected to reach 6.0 MMT for the 2013-2014 season, with the bulk of production coming from Spain. Spain is expected to produce half of the region's overall fresh orange crop and Italy is expected to produce 1.8 MMT.
European tangerine production is expected to reach 3.0 MMT, with Spanish growers producing 2.0 MMT of that crop. Likewise, Spain is expected to be the top producer of lemons and grapefruit in Europe. Total European lemon production is expected to reach 1.3 MMT, which is an increase of 12.7 percent from the previous season's production, and total European grapefruit production is expected to reach 120,000 MT. The forecast for total citrus production in Europe is 10.5 MMT.