The intensification of orange crushing in late August indicates that the 2016/17 crop may be shorter than the previous one in Brazil. This expectation is linked to the fact that processors purchased late oranges last month (first late oranges usually start to be harvested from September onward) and the anticipated end of early oranges in July. Consequently, crushing may end earlier this year in many citrus plants and only a few of them may be in operation in early 2017.
As observed in July and August, September may be one more period of intense crushing in citrus plants from São Paulo State, since the peak of the pear orange 2016/17 crop started in August. The harvesting of early oranges ended and processors started to purchase volumes of late oranges. Agents consulted by Cepea estimate that 80% of the crushed volume corresponds to pear oranges and 20%, to late oranges.
Another factor that may influence the more restricted calendar of harvesting in this crop is that most of the produced volume comes from the two first blossoming events – the first event, alone, accounted for 78.3% of the total, according to data from the Citrus Defence Fund (Fundecitrus). In the previous season, the first blossoming event amounted for only 30% of the total volume, and the second, for 59.7%.
According to growers consulted by Cepea, blossoming started to show in late July in some groves from São Paulo State, but developed more intensely only in August. Rains in the second fortnight of the month in São Paulo encouraged orange growers, since they encouraged the 2017/18 crop blossoming.
Source: CEPEA/ESALQ
