According to the latest report on Enhanced Monitoring of EU Citrus Imports published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAPA), in the first nine months of 2022, the European Union imported 1,446,133 tons of citrus fruits, i.e. 8.8% (140,000 tons) less than in the same period of last year and 6.2% (-95,000 tons) less than the average of the previous five years.
The EU's main non-EU citrus supplier was South Africa, with 598,334 tons between January and September, i.e. 4.8% less than in the first nine months of 2021. It was followed by Egypt (237,797 tons, -29.3%); Turkey (160,774 tons, +22.5%); Argentina (142,061 tons, +10.6%), Morocco (125,685 tons, +1.3%), and Israel (66,902 tons, +1.2%).
In the first nine months of 2022, EU citrus imports from third countries stood as follows: 560,803 tons of oranges (-23.0% compared to the same period of 2021), 413,724 tons of lemons (+20.1%), 326,447 tons of small citrus (-5.7%), and 145,695 tons of grapefruits (-12.9%).
In September alone, the import figure reached 253,086 tons, 13.9% less than in the same month of 2021 and 8.5% less than the average for that month of the last five years. Of that amount, 192,276 tons were shipped from South Africa (-0.7% compared to the same month of 2021); another 20,727 tons came from Argentina (-57.8%); 12,335 tons from Zimbabwe (+9.3%), and 5,981 tons from Morocco (+355.1%).
Despite the drop in citrus imports in September, this month was the month with the highest volume of the first nine months of 2022.
Source: efeagro.com