For growers who survived the citrus glut, the turnaround to a boom in fruit exports to Asia and a shortage of Valencia, juice is sweet.
Only seven years ago, growers could not even give away their Valencia oranges, which were competing with cheap imported Brazilian concentrate.
If they replanted with premium sweet table fruit varieties, and geared up for exports, they are now tasting success.
The volume of citrus heading overseas has grown in 10 years, from $185 million in 2007 to $328 million today.
The biggest market today is China, but it took a tiny 2,000 tonnes a decade ago, although much more went through the grey channel in Hong Kong and across the border.
Ten years on, after some hard marketing and quarantine legwork, China took 40,000 tonnes in 2016, an increase of 420 per cent over that time.
Japan, already a big market, grew 43 per cent over the decade, taking 38,000 tonnes of fresh fruit.
"The demand for Australian premium citrus, especially in our Asian markets, has really reinvigorated the industry," Citrus Australia chairwoman Tania Chapman said, at a packing shed in Mildura.
