Mediterranean citruses: another year of marked shortfall in Spain and Morocco

The 2023-24 season should bring another major shortfall for Spanish easy peeler and orange growers. The harvest, across all citruses, could slump to below its 2022-23 level of 6 million tonnes, already the lowest for the past decade. Orchard abandonments increased, as issues of lack of profitability became more acute with the soaring prices for agricultural inputs. In addition, the climate conditions were unfavourable, especially with excessive temperatures and low humidity during the key fruit-setting period, and a recurrent drought, particularly in Andalusia. There is apparently a distinct fall for early and mid-season clementines (Nules), as well as for Navel and Salustiana oranges. A considerable harvest shortfall is also expected in Morocco, for both the clementine and orange, with the abnormally high temperatures in particular in the south of the country. The Israeli Orri harvest is also apparently down, albeit after a bumper 2022-23 season.