In São Paulo, Brazil, the resurgence of rainfall has heralded a fresh wave of optimism among orange cultivators, according to Cepea. With precipitation returning, some regions have observed flowering since the early days of February, hinting at the potential for off-season produce. Despite the enthusiasm, the industry consensus suggests that the yield from these blooms may be modest, unlikely to offset the recent decline in young fruit development observed in the closing months of 2023. This budding optimism is underpinned by anticipated favorable returns for oranges in the forthcoming season.
The in natura market in São Paulo witnessed a constrained orange supply by mid-February, a typical offseason scenario. The gap was partially filled by off-season pear oranges and the last of the late-season harvests. Nonetheless, certain growers began to collect early varieties, such as hamlin and westin, aiming to boost availability.
Meanwhile, Fundecitrus's latest report on the 2023/24 crop for São Paulo and Triângulo/Sudoeste Mineiro maintains the forecast at 307.22 million 40.8-kilo boxes. This figure remains unchanged from the prior assessment but shows a slight decrease of 0.7% from initial projections and a 2.2% drop from the 2022/23 season's output.
Source: cepea.esalq.usp.br