General Increase in Citrus Forecast

WASHINGTON - Apr 10/18 - SNS -- Production of citrus crops in the United States will be better than initially expected, but remain below last year, according to the USDA's latest production forecast.

This season's orange harvest will likely reach 3.90 million tons, up slightly from last month but down 23% from the 2016-2017 revised final utilization, according to the USDA.

The United States 2017-2018 grapefruit crop is forecast at 558,000 tons, up 5% from last month but 20% below last season's revised final utilization. In Florida, expected production, at 4.00 million boxes (170,000 tons), is down 14% from last month and down 48% from last year.

The United States tangerine and mandarin crop is forecast at 877,000 tons, down 1% from last month and down 15% from last season's final utilization. The California forecast, at 21.0 million boxes (840,000 tons), is unchanged from last month but down 12% from the 2016-2017 season. The Florida tangerine and mandarin forecast, at 770,000 boxes (37,000 tons) is down 13% from last month and down 52% from the previous year.

The forecast for the 2017-2018 United States lemon crop is 872,000 tons, up slightly from last month but down 2% from last season's final utilization. The California production forecast, at 20.5 million boxes (820,000 tons), is unchanged from both last month and from 2016-2017.

Utilized Production of Citrus Fruits by Crop - States and United States: 2016-2017 and
Forecasted April 1, 2018
[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
        Crop and State        :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              :     2016-2017     :     2017-2018     :     2016-2017     :     2017-2018
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              :      ------- 1,000 boxes ------               ------- 1,000 tons ------
Oranges                       :
California, all ..............:       48,300             44,500               1,932               1,780
 Early, mid, and Navel 2/ ....:       39,300             35,000               1,572               1,400
 Valencia ....................:        9,000              9,500                 360                 380
                              :
Florida, all .................:       68,850             45,000               3,098               2,025
 Early, mid, and Navel 2/ ....:       33,000             19,000               1,485                 855
 Valencia ....................:       35,850             26,000               1,613               1,170
                              :
Texas, all ...................:        1,370              2,110                  58                  90
 Early, mid, and Navel 2/ ....:        1,090              1,550                  46                  66
 Valencia ....................:          280                560                  12                  24
                              :
United States, all ...........:      118,520             91,610               5,088               3,895
 Early, mid, and Navel 2/ ....:       73,390             55,550               3,103               2,321
 Valencia ....................:       45,130             36,060               1,985               1,574
                              :
Grapefruit                    :
California ...................:        4,400              4,000                 176                 160
Florida, all .................:        7,760              4,000                 330                 170
 Red .........................:        6,280              3,250                 267                 138
 White .......................:        1,480                750                  63                  32
Texas ........................:        4,800              5,700                 192                 228
                              :
United States ................:       16,960             13,700                 698                 558
                              :
Tangerines and mandarins 3/   :
California ...................:       23,900             21,000                 956                 840
Florida ......................:        1,620                770                  77                  37
                              :
United States ................:       25,520             21,770               1,033                 877
                              :
Lemons                        :
Arizona ......................:        1,650              1,300                  66                  52
California ...................:       20,500             20,500                 820                 820
                              :
United States ................:       22,150             21,800                 886                 872
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
2/ Navel and miscellaneous varieties in California. Early (including Navel) and midseason varieties in Florida
   and Texas.
3/ Includes tangelos and tangors.