Japan’s citrus output continues to decline

Japan’s citrus production remains under pressure as orchard areas shrink and the farming population ages, according to the latest Citrus Annual report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in Tokyo.

Mandarins are still the country’s main citrus fruit. Production in the 2024/25 marketing year is estimated at 744,000 tonnes. The report expects output to recover slightly to about 816,000 tonnes in 2025/26, although the harvested area is forecast to fall further to around 45,700 hectares as more growers leave the sector.

Japan produces very small volumes of oranges. Output is estimated at 4,090 tonnes in 2024/25 and is expected to ease to around 3,900 tonnes in 2025/26. As a result, the country depends on imports to supply the market. Orange imports reached about 86,400 tonnes in 2024/25, with shipments mainly coming from Australia, the United States, South Africa and Chile. Imports are forecast to decline slightly to around 75,000 tonnes in 2025/26.

For lemons and limes, domestic production is expected to remain stable at around 49,000 tonnes. Imports are projected at 43,900 tonnes in 2024/25 and about 43,000 tonnes in 2025/26. The main suppliers are Chile, the United States and Mexico.

Production of Japanese pomelo and related citrus is estimated at 26,000 tonnes in 2024/25 and forecast to reach 25,000 tonnes in 2025/26. Imports of grapefruit and pomelo are expected to total 32,850 tonnes in 2024/25, easing slightly to around 32,000 tonnes in 2025/26.

Japan exports only limited volumes of citrus. Mandarin exports are forecast at around 1,548 tonnes, with Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore among the main destinations.

According to the report, last season’s citrus harvest was also affected by high temperatures and dry conditions, which caused sunburn damage and reduced fruit quality in some orchards.

Read the full report here.

source: usdajapan.org

graphics: tradedatamonitor.com