Citrus in the southern hemisphere accounts for 27% of the global market. Export volume increased by nearly 13% driven by the epidemic, and the output of soft citrus increased by more than 10%.

The world citrus Organization (WCO) last week held its first annual general meeting since its formal establishment in 2020, at which it released its forecast of citrus production in the southern hemisphere in 2021.

It is estimated that the citrus production in the southern hemisphere will reach 22.7 million tons in 2021, an increase of 3.18% over the previous year; The export volume is expected to increase by 12.72% to 3.8 million tons. The forecast data are collected from relevant industry associations in Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay, which are members of the association.

WCO Secretary-General Philippe Binard said when introducing the data: “Citrus fruits are famous for their nutritional value, especially the value of vitamin C content. After the epidemic, consumers have a positive demand for fruits and vegetables, especially for citrus fruits. The demand is on the rise. Therefore, the increase in production will be a positive news to meet the growing demand."

By category, orange and other soft citrus increased the most, with output increasing by 10.57%, and export is expected to increase by more than 20% to 1 million tons; The yield of orange kept stable, increased by 1.93%; Lemon and grapefruit are expected to grow by 2.37% and 6.44% respectively.