Orange juice exports fall 26% in the first quarter of the 1-2024 harvest

Orange juice exports (FCOJ equivalent to 66 Brix) totaled US$ 850,4 million from July to September 2024, a period that represents the first quarter of the 2024/2025 harvest. The value represents an increase of 43,23% compared to the same period of the previous harvest, when revenues closed at US$ 593,7 million. The volume registered a reduction of 26,73% compared to the 270.361 tons accumulated in the 2023/2024 harvest, closing the period with 198.107 tons. The data are from the Secretariat of Foreign Trade, compiled by CitrusBR.

The results reflect the climate problems over five consecutive harvests of below-average production. “We are experiencing a period of restricted supply of orange juice, which has caused the product to increase in value and generated concern in the market regarding the impact of this scenario on consumption of the beverage,” explains CitrusBR’s executive director, Ibiapaba Netto.

Last week, between October 16 and 17, Netto attended the Juice Summit, the largest European event for the juice chain, which took place in the city of Antwerp, Belgium. “The decline in consumption was the most debated topic throughout the event, and this was clear throughout a series of presentations that showed the difficulty European companies are having in mitigating the effect of the increase in raw material costs, especially orange juice.” According to him, the supply restriction caused the product to lose exposure on supermarket shelves and stimulated the launch of products such as nectars, a drink with a 50% dilution of juice and water.

main markets

Europe continues to be the main market for Brazilian coffee, with 115.398 tons shipped, a 30,5% drop compared to the 166.030 tons in the previous period. Total revenue for the old continent was US$ 511,2 million, an increase of 42,51% compared to the US$ 359,4 million in the first quarter of the previous harvest. According to a report published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), consumption of the beverage in this market fell by 0,23% in the 2023/2024 harvest compared to the previous period.

Shipments to the United States fell by 19,53%, totaling 67.323 tons compared to the 83.667 tons exported in the same period of the 2023/2024 harvest. Revenue jumped from US$ 189,9 million to US$ 264,5 million, an increase of 39,28%. According to a report by the Nielsen consultancy, published by the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC), consumption in the four weeks ending October 8, 2024, recorded a new 8,4% decline in orange juice sales in American retail, closing the period with only 108,5 million liters. In the same period, the price of the drink rose by 9,2%. “We have seen beverage companies struggling to keep 100% orange juice products on the shelves due to high prices,” says Netto.

In the case of Japan, there was a decline of 1,11%, falling from 5.147 tons in the last harvest to 5.090 tons in the first three months of the 2024/2025 harvest. In terms of revenue, shipments totaled US$ 25,1 million, an increase of 120,18% compared to US$ 11,4 million in the previous harvest.

China also recorded a significant drop, with 6.092 tons shipped in the 2024/2025 harvest period, compared to 8.262 tons in the previous period, representing a drop of 26,26%. However, following the upward trend observed in other markets, revenue reached US$ 28,5 million, compared to US$ 16,2 million in the previous period, an increase of 75,93%.