Grapefruit production to increase by 15%

The 2016/17 MY production of citrus in South Africa is estimated to increase as the country recovers from drought in the main growing regions. The current drought in the Western Cape growing region is only expected to impact the 2017/18 MY crop if insufficient winter rainfall is received this year.

Post estimates show that the production of grapefruit will increase by fifteen percent to 363,000 MT in the 2016/17 MY, based on the normal rains received at the beginning of 2017 in Limpopo and Mpumalanga which are the main grapefruit growing regions.

This will result in a fifteen percent increase in grapefruit exports to 234,000 MT in the 2016/17 MY. It is also estimated that the production of oranges will increase by five percent to 1.34 Million MT in the 2016/17 MY, based on the recovery from the drought following normal rains in 2017 in the growing regions of Limpopo, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga which account for about 82 percent of the total orange production.

As for exports, estimates predict of oranges will increase by five percent to 1.12 Million MT in the 2016/17 MY, based on the available production and South Africa`s efforts in addressing uncertainty in the European Union (EU ) market due to the ongoing Citrus Black Spot (CBS) challenges.

Tangerines and mandarins are also predicted to increase by eleven percent to 251,000 MT in the 2016/17 MY, based on an increase in area planted as the industry shifts its production mainly from oranges to soft citrus in response to market preferences. Exports of tangerines/mandarins will increase by twelve percent to 212,000 MT in the 2016/17 MY, based on the increase in production, and the growing market opportunities in the United States, Middle East and Asia.

Lemons and limes are predicted to increase by fifteen percent to 355,000 MT in the 2016/17 MY, based on increases in area planted and normal rainfall received in the main growing regions of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. These increases were partially offset, by the mysterious fruit drop experienced in the Eastern Cape. Post estimates that the exports of lemons and limes will increase by fourteen percent to 270,000 MT in the 2016/17 MY, based on the increase in production. The current drought in the Western Cape growing region is only expected to impact the 2017/18 MY citrus production if insufficient winter rainfall is received in 2017.

For more information: gain.fas.usda.gov