Promising estimates for citrus fruit production in Argentina

According to the latest report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the 2021/22 marketing year, Argentina's fresh lemon production would reach 1.90 million tons, which means an increase compared to the previous forecast. The rise would be due to favorable weather conditions.

At the same time, Argentina's orange production would reach 920.000 tons, and that of mandarins 400.000 tons.

The report notes that recent favorable weather conditions have allowed Argentine citrus trees to recover after a period of drought followed by heavy rains.

Exports

Exports of lemons are projected to reach 250.000 tons, while in the previous campaign they totaled 264.000 tons.

Exports of tangerines would reach 65.000 tons, and those of oranges 88.000 tons, while in the previous campaign exports of these fruits totaled 50.000 and 85.000 tons, respectively.

The shortage of containers, the rise in freight costs and world inflation are impacting the activity of the citrus industry in Argentina, raising export costs by 100%.

Destinations

The main destination markets for Argentine lemons in 2021 have been the EU, the U.S, Russia, Canada, Ukraine, among others.

Meanwhile oranges were supplied to the EU, Paraguay, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and other countries.

Tangerines were mainly exported to Russia, the Philippines, Canada, Paraguay, and Singapore.

During the campaign 2021/22, Argentina strengthened its presence in its traditional markets, with continued interest for expansion in Asian countries.

Worth to mention that ​Argentina has been exporting citrus fruits to China since 2004, and to Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia since 2017.