According to a report released by the USDA, FAS Santiago estimated that various Chilean citrus production, along with some exports, will increase the 2033/23 season.
Lemon production is estimated to increase by 26.4 percent and total 172,000 metric tons, favorable climatic conditions and an increase in water supplies in the Coquimbo region pushed up lemon yields and thus overall production.
Exports set to increase by 33.9 percent and reach 75,000 metric tons following the increase in production and drop in freight costs. In the 2021/22 season, the US was the top market having received 31,222 metric tons, which represented 55.5 percent of export volume. Chile also exported lemons to Japan, China, and South Korea.
Orange production is estimated to increase by 6.1 percent and total 174,000 metric tons, this being assisted by increase rainfall and no damage from frost.
Exports are set to increase by 4.7 percent and total 90,000 metric tons mainly due to the recovered production. In the 2021/22 season, orange exports decreased by 22.6 percent from the 2020/21 season and totaled 81,062 metric tons.
In the 2021/22 season, exports to the US decreased by 23.3 percent and totaled 73,916 metric tons, which represented 91.2 percent of Chilean orange exports. Chile exported oranges to various other countries, such as the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Canada.
Mandarin, clementine, and tangerine production is estimated to increase by 26.5 percent and total 215,000 metric tons driven by an increase in yields due to normalized rainfall and no adverse impacts from early frost.
Exports are set to increase by 25 percent totaling 180,000 metric tons due to an increase in yields and steady area planted. In the 2021/22 season Chile exported 128,468 metric tons to the US, which represented 97.8 percent of exports. Other markets for Chilean mandarins are Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Canada, although volumes exported to these markets are much lower.
