| citrus

2022/23 orange harvest from the SP and MG citrus belt is reestimated

Reestimation shows that production remains as expected, with 314,11 million boxes

12.12.2022 | 13:37 (UTC -3)

Daniele Merola

Fundecitrus releases the second re-estimate of the 2022/23 orange harvest for the citrus belt of São Paulo and Southwest Minas Gerais, the main orange producing region in the world, which is expected to be 314,11 million boxes of 40,8 kg.

This value shows that the harvest remains within expectations in relation to the estimate published in September this year, with only an increase of 20 thousand boxes, which corresponds to 0,01%. As the growth is not very significant, the harvest loss presented in the previous reestimate is maintained, at 0,9% in relation to the initial expectation, due to the volume of rainfall below the historical average.

According to the coordinator of the Harvest Estimation Research (PES) at Fundecitrus, Vinícius Trombin, this small change was influenced by the variation in weather conditions.

“The volume of rain is lower and its occurrence was in more isolated points, becoming uneven even between neighboring municipalities. The rainfall regime is also mainly associated with the influence of the La Niña phenomenon which, since May, has remained at moderate intensity”, assesses Trombin.

The expert also explains that, from the current month until the end of the harvest, rainfall is normally more voluminous, which contributes to the growth of oranges. “On the other hand, during the summer, they generally occur in the form of storms, with rain showers and strong winds, which accentuate premature fruit fall,” he says.

Fruit drop rate and weight

The average fruit weight was revised to 260 fruits per box (157 grams per fruit), different from the projection in September, of 261 fruits per box (156 grams per fruit).

The projected fruit drop rate increased from 19,80% to 20,10%, on average, among all varieties.

The Harvest Estimation Survey is carried out by Fundecitrus in partnership with Markestrat, FEARP/USP and FCAV/Unesp. The third harvest re-estimate will be released on February 10, 2023.

The full report is available at the link below: