Chilean mandarins and lemon exports are predicted up for marketing year 2023-24, a new USDA report says.
The USDA forecasts that Chilean lemon production will grow by 6.7% in 2023-24, while exports are expected to grow by 8.8%.
While Chilean orange production is expected to dip slightly, Chile’s mandarin area planted has grown rapidly over the past 10 marketing years due to high profits, the USDA report said. As a result, Chilean mandarin exports in 2023-24 are forecast to grow by 7.3%, according to the report.
The report said Chilean exporters are attempting to diversify their export markets beyond the U.S. In March 2023, Chile gained access to the Mexican market for lemons, clementines and mandarins under an inspection system that avoids fumigation, improving the quality conditions and increasing shelf life.
Lemon bounce
The report said Chilean lemon acreage for 2023-24 is forecast at 20,139 acres, up 1% from the previous season.
Lemon area planted in Chile grew from 14,606 acres in the marketing year 2016-17 to 19,968 acres in the marketing year 2022-23, the report said.
“In the Valparaiso and Coquimbo regions, citrus became a viable alternative to other crops such as avocado because of its high price and low water requirement,” the report said. “According to Post sources, Chilean lemon producers are currently focused on increasing productivity and yields by better managing water use and disease.”
The USDA forecasts Chilean lemon output to grow by 6.7% to 175,000 metric tons in 2023-24 due to the increase in area planted.
Most Chilean lemon exports occur between June and September, typically peaking in July or August, to Northern Hemisphere markets. The lemon production area spans from the Coquimbo region, in the north of the country, to the O’Higgins region in the central south, the report said. The Metropolitana region, in the central part of Chile, holds 41.1% of the lemon area planted, making it the top-producing region.
For the marketing year 2023-24, the USDA report said Chilean lemon exports will grow 8.8% and total 74,000 metric tons.
The USDA said more than 60% of Chilean lemon exports go to the U.S., making it the top market among export destinations.
Oranges stable
Chilean orange production will dip by 2.2% and total 175,000 metric tons in 2023-24, the report said. Planted area for oranges in Chile declined 1% in the last year to 15,567 acres, according to the report.
Orange planted area has declined 15% from 18,258 acres in 2011-12 as producers shifted to mandarins and lemons because of their higher profitability, the report said. Chile’s Metropolitana region is still the top orange-producing region in Chile, holding 39.3% of the orange area planted, followed by the O’Higgins region, which holds 31.3% of the area planted.
The report said Chilean orange exports will decrease by 5.5% and total 90,000 metric tons in 2023-24 compared with the previous year.
In Chile, the orange marketing year starts April with the beginning of the harvest season, with the report noting that the bulk of Chilean orange exports is between July and September each year and peaks around August.
The largest market for Chilean oranges is the U.S., which represented 93% of total exports in 2022-23, the report said.
Up-and-comer
Chilean mandarin/tangerine production in 2023-24 will increase by 7.1% and total 287,000 metric tons, the report said.
The USDA said the mandarin area planted has increased by nearly 2,500 acres per year and will reach nearly 30,000 acres in 2023-24.
“Due to high profits, mandarin area planted grew significantly in the past ten marketing years,” the report said. “Specifically, the W. Murcott variety became a viable alternative to replace other crops such as oranges or table grapes.”
The Coquimbo region is the top mandarin production region in Chile, holding 47.4% of the total acreage. The O’Higgins and the Valparaiso regions, in the central part of the country, hold 21.9% and 20.7% of the area planted, respectively.
Area planted in all mandarin-producing regions grew in the past three marketing years.
For 2023-24, the USDA projects that Chilean mandarin/tangerine exports will increase by 7.3% to 250,000 metric tons.
Chile exports mandarins from April until December, peaking around September, the report said.
The top export market for mandarins is the U.S., which receives 95% of Chilean mandarin exports.
