Argentina Citrus Falters

Avatar for Matt Hopkins By Scott C. Lucas|22 June 2006

Citrus production in Argentina is expected to be down 9% from 2005 to 2.4 million metric tons (MMT). The shortfall is primarily due to a prolonged drought in the northeastern production region, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA-FAS).

Most tangerine and orange plantations are expected to be limited by this drought, as many varieties have yet to reach commercial size, forcing farmers to leave them on the trees. For the small percentage of the area’s growers that irrigate (5%), the lack of rain has led to higher quality fruit, as the irrigation kept the crops growing without the fungal problems brought about by rainfall.

USDA-FAS also expects a total lemon production of 1.2 MMT for 2006, down 7.7% with from 2005. The grapefruit crop in northwestern Argentina also is not expected to be good in 2006.