The Chilean Citrus Committee estimates that global citrus exports from Chile will reach 383,000 tons this season, a 4% decline from 2023.
Figures provided by the committee project clementine and mandarin volumes will decline by 35% and 9%, respectively. Oranges will decrease by 2%, with lemons increasing by 33%.
The committee forecasts clementine volume of 40,000 tons, which is 35% less than the 2023 season.
“This is a result of water restrictions in the main clementine-producing areas of the Coquimbo region,” Monserrat Valenzuela, manager of the citrus committee, said in in a news release. Of the 9,800 hectares of clementines planted in Chile, 70% of them are concentrated in that region, the release said.
Meanwhile, mandarin volume is expected to reach 160,000 tons, a decrease of 9% from last year. Orange volume will be similar to 2023, with a 2% decrease to 93,000 tons. The only category with anticipated growth is lemons, which is expected to grow by 33% to 90,000 tons.
“We are building an industry better adapted to climate change, with a strategy aimed at facing new production challenges, and with a focus on more sustainable production,” Juan Ortúzar, president of the citrus committee, said in the release.
There are more than 68,000 acres of citrus orchards in Chile, distributed between the Atacama and O’Higgins regions, the release said. The Metropolitan Region has the largest planted area, reaching about 21,000 acres. As for the total planted area, lemons lead with 22,700 acres hectares nationwide, followed by mandarins with 19,200 hectares and oranges with 16,300 acres.
Citrus promotions in the U.S. will commence in June and continue through October, according to the release.
