Spain's Ministry of agriculture, MAPA recently released its forecast of citrus production in 2020 / 21, which is expected to reach 6.93 million tons in the new season, 12% higher than last year's total output and 5% higher than the five-year average level. The production of soft orange will increase by 12%, lemon by 8%, orange and pomelo by 1% and 3%, respectively.

MPMA also summarizes the performance of the 2019 / 20 season. According to the data, the total output in the last quarter was 6.2 million tons, 18% lower than the record level in 2018 / 19 and 9% lower than the five-year average. This season is one of the most successful citrus production seasons in Spain in recent years. Due to strong demand and insufficient supply, the price is much higher than the five-year average. Mapa points out that demand for citrus has been high throughout the outbreak last season due to its long shelf life and nutritional value.

As of May this year, Spain's domestic citrus consumption has increased by 5.1%, while its consumption has increased by 17%. The consumption of lemon increased more significantly, with an increase of 11.2% compared with the cumulative annual level.

MAPA notes that prices were significantly higher last season than in previous seasons, especially in the weeks leading up to the outbreak. Oranges, for example, are more than double last year's average price and 40 per cent higher than the five-year average. "If you take into account the normal percentage loss of 3-4%, this will be the most profitable year on record," says Paco Borras, an industry consultant.

However, Mr Borras warns that deep-rooted structural problems in tangerine and orange production remain and, if not addressed, will hamper the industry's development. 

In general, tangerine and orange sorting need to use different fruit grading machine. Because the shape of the orange is relatively flat, it is more suitable for the use of the drum type fruit classifier. Oranges are round in shape and can be graded with a roller sorter. If you have a budget, you can use an electronic weighing fruit grader. Both kinds of fruit can be sorted and graded more accurately.