Steep Drop in Citrus Output

WASHINGTON - Jul 12/18 - SNS -- This year's cirtsu crops are down sharply in the United Sstates, lead by a massive drop in the size of the orange harvest, according to the USDA's latest crop production estimates.

The United States all orange forecast for the 2017-2018 season is 3.86 million tons, down 1% from last month and down 24% from the 2016-2017 final utilization.

The United States 2017-2018 grapefruit crop is forecast at 517,000 tons, down 7% from last month and 26% below last season's final utilization. In Texas, expected production, at 4.80 million boxes (192,000 tons), is down 16% from last month but unchanged from last year. California and Florida grapefruit production forecasts were unchanged from last month but down 9 and 50%, respectively, from last season.

The United States tangerine and mandarin crop is forecast at 836,000 tons, down 5% from last month and down 19% from last season's final utilization. The California tangerine and mandarin forecast, at 20.0 million boxes (800,000 tons), is down 5% from last month and down 16% from the previous year. The Florida tangerine and mandarin forecast is unchanged from last month but down 54% from last year.

The forecast for the 2017-2018 United States lemon crop is 872,000 tons, unchanged 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 the 2016-2017 season.

Utilized Production of Citrus Fruits by Crop - States and United States: 2016-2017 and
Forecasted July 1, 2018
[The crop year begins with the bloom of the first year shown and ends with the completion of
harvest the following year]
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                            :   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           44,000             1,932             1,760
 Early, mid, and Navel 2/ ..:      39,300           35,000             1,572             1,400
 Valencia ..................:       9,000            9,000               360               360
                            :
Florida, all ...............:      68,850           44,950             3,098             2,023
 Early, mid, and Navel 2/ ..:      33,000           18,950             1,485               853
 Valencia ..................:      35,850           26,000             1,613             1,170
                            :
Texas, all .................:       1,370            1,880                58                80
 Early, mid, and Navel 2/ ..:       1,090            1,530                46                65
 Valencia ..................:         280              350                12                15
                            :
United States, all .........:     118,520           90,830             5,088             3,863
 Early, mid, and Navel 2/ ..:      73,390           55,480             3,103             2,318
 Valencia ..................:      45,130           35,350             1,985             1,545
                            :
Grapefruit                  :
California .................:       4,400            4,000               176               160
Florida, all ...............:       7,760            3,880               330               165
 Red .......................:       6,280            3,180               267               135
 White .....................:       1,480              700                63                30
Texas ......................:       4,800            4,800               192               192
                            :
United States ..............:      16,960           12,680               698               517
                            :
Tangerines and mandarins 3/ :
California .................:      23,900           20,000               956               800
Florida ....................:       1,620              750                77                36
                            :
United States ..............:      25,520           20,750             1,033               836
                            :
Lemons                      :
Arizona ....................:       1,650            1,300                66                52
California .................:      20,500           20,500               820               820
                            :
United States ..............:      22,150           21,800               886               872
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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.