STAT Communications Ag Market News

Overall Drop in Citrus Output

WASHINGTON - Jul 12/17 - SNS -- There will be a general decline in citrus ffruit production in the United States this year, according to the latest USDA crop forecast.

The United States all orange forecast for the 2016-2017 season is 5.07 million tons, down 2% from last month and down 17% from the 2015-2016 final utilization.

The United States 2016-2017 grapefruit crop is forecast at 684,000 tons, up 2% from last month but down 15% from last season's final utilization. In Florida, expected production, at 7.80 million boxes (332,000 tons), is unchanged from last month but down 28% from last year. In Texas, grapefruit production, at 4.80 million boxes (192,000 tons), is up 2% from last month but unchanged from last year. However, California production, at 4.00 million boxes (160,000 tons), is up 5% from both last month and last year.

The United States tangerine and mandarin crop is forecast at 1.04 million tons, up 8% from last month and up 9% from last season's final utilization if tangelos were included. If realized, this will be the largest production since records began in 1964-1965. The California tangerine and mandarin forecast is up 9% from the previous forecast and up 11% from last season due to more bearing acres coming into production.

The forecast for the 2016-2017 United States lemon crop is 826,000 tons, down slightly from the previous forecast and down 9% from last season's final utilization. Production is down from the 2015-2016 season in both Arizona and California.

Utilized Production of Citrus Fruits by Crop - States and United States: 2015-2016 and
Forecasted July 1, 2017
[The crop year begins with the bloom of the first year shown and ends with the completion of harvest the
following year]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              :     Utilized production boxes 1/      : Utilized production ton equivalent 2/
        Crop and State        :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              :     2015-2016     :     2016-2017     :     2015-2016     :     2016-2017
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              :      ------- 1,000 boxes -------              ------- 1,000 tons ------
Oranges                       :
California, all ..............:       58,500              48,000              2,340               1,920
 Early, mid, and Navel 3/ ....:       47,200              40,000              1,888               1,600
 Valencia ....................:       11,300               8,000                452                 320
                              :
Florida, all .................:       81,700              68,700              3,677               3,092
 Early, mid, and Navel 3/ ....:       36,100              33,000              1,625               1,485
 Valencia ....................:       45,600              35,700              2,052               1,607
                              :
Texas, all ...................:        1,691               1,370                 71                  58
 Early, mid, and Navel 3/ ....:        1,351               1,090                 57                  46
 Valencia ....................:          340                 280                 14                  12
                              :
United States, all ...........:      141,891             118,070              6,088               5,070
 Early, mid, and Navel 3/ ....:       84,651              74,090              3,570               3,131
 Valencia ....................:       57,240              43,980              2,518               1,939
                              :
Grapefruit                    :
California ...................:        3,800               4,000                152                 160
Florida, all .................:       10,800               7,800                459                 332
 Red .........................:        8,310               6,300                353                 268
 White .......................:        2,490               1,500                106                  64
Texas ........................:        4,800               4,800                192                 192
                              :
United States ................:       19,400              16,600                803                 684
                              :
Tangerines and mandarins 4/   :
California ...................:       21,600              24,000                864                 960
Florida 5/ ...................:        1,415               1,620                 67                  77
                              :
United States ................:       23,015              25,620                931               1,037
                              :
Lemons                        :
Arizona ......................:        1,750               1,650                 70                  66
California ...................:       20,900              19,000                836                 760
                              :
United States ................:       22,650              20,650                906                 826
                              :
Tangelos 6/                   :
Florida ......................:          390                (NA)                 18                (NA)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(NA) Not available.
1/   Net pounds per box: oranges in California-80, Florida-90, Texas-85; grapefruit in California-80,
     Florida-85, Texas-80; tangerines and mandarins in California-80, Florida-95; lemons-80; tangelos-90.
2/   Totals may not add due to rounding.
3/   Navel and miscellaneous varieties in California. Early (including Navel) and midseason varieties in
     Florida and Texas. For 2015-2016 included small quantities of Temples in Florida. Beginning in 2016-2017
     Temples in Florida are included in tangerines and mandarins.
4/   Includes tangelos and tangors.
5/   Small quantities of Temples in Florida
6/   Beginning in 2016-2017, tangelos are included in tangerines and mandarins for Florida.

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