Posts Tagged “easy peelers”
Easy-peel citrus varieties should increase in popularity which is expected to result in those products surpassing navel oranges in the next few years as the most consumed fresh citrus in the U.S., according to Rabobank research.
In an April report, the company showed South America has greatly increased its exports in the past five years. Since the mid-1990s, U.S. mandarin consumption has surpassed domestic production, and now imports account for about one-third of domestic consumption.
“Availability of mandarins in the U.S. increased at a compound annual growth rate of 6% during the past decade to about 7 pounds per person per year. If the trend continues, in the next few years mandarins will surpass oranges as the most-consumed fresh citrus in the U.S. The attractive combination of convenience, healthfulness, and taste will continue driving consumer demand for mandarins in the U.S.”
Acreage in California has increased more than sixfold in the past 20 years, reaching 67,000 acres in 2021, while acreage in Florida has declined due to phytosanitary pressures, the report said.
Southern hemisphere citrus exports have risen by more than 25 percent over the past 10 years, with the European market and the easy peeler category driving much of the growth, according to data from the World Citrus Organization (WCO).
Shipments from the region including South Africa, Peru, Chile, and Argentina – rose 27 percent from 2.6 million metric tons (MT) in 2010 to 3.3 million MT in 2019, with the majority of the growth coming after 2014. The region with the highest share of southern hemisphere citrus imports is the European Union with 34 percent. Next is Asia with 24 percent, North America with 18 percent, the Middle East with 13 percent and Eastern Europe with 7 percent.
The easy peeler category has been responsible for most of the growth. In 2008 there was a volume of 342,000MT of mandarins and tangelos traded worldwide from the southern hemisphere. In 2014 this figure increased slightly to 465,000MT.
However, to 2019 there was an increase to more than 739,000MT, representing 16 percent of southern hemisphere citrus exports. On average in this category there has been a 10 percent growth per year for the last five years.
North America imports the largest volumes of easy peelers from the southern hemisphere, with a total of 39 percent in 2019. Of this total, Chile is the leading exporter to this market with almost 150,000MT. In second place comes Peru with approximately 70,000MT, followed by South Africa, Uruguay and Argentina.
In second place as an importer is the European Union with 27 percent, which is over 200,000MT. In this case, South Africa is in the leading exporter, with a total of almost 150,000MT of the total exported. Peru is followed with a total of approximately 50,000MT.
In third position as an importer is Asia with 18 percent, representing almost 150,000MT, with Australia as the leading exporting country with almost 70,000MT. South Africa follows with 50,000MT, and in last place with 10,000MT each are Peru and Argentina.
Imports of Southern Hemisphere citrus continues to increase as American consumers are becoming more accustomed to purchasing citrus year-round. Improving quality and taste are cited as factors.
As navel oranges, minneolas and clementines experience increasing volume from the Southern Hemisphere, it opens up the window for more sales of citrus.
Seedless easy peelers such as Murcotts, and the mandarin varieties continue to be the most popular items in produce departments. Imported citrus primarily arrives at three major ports in the West (Long Beach), Southeast (Florida) and Northeast (Philadelphia), reducing logistic and distribution costs.
Chile’s first shipment of Navels to the U.S. — comprising 7,960 boxes arrived in early June, a earlier than in 2015.
Importers are very optimistic for the season ahead. Total global citrus exports from Chile (Navels, easy peelers and lemons) rose by 30 percent last year, and estimates are that volume is expected to climb another 10 percent in 2016. While the largest increase is expected for easy peelers, projected Navel volumes are also slightly higher than 2016, 68,261 tons compared to 67,644 tons in 2015.
Easy peelers are clearly the up and comers in citrus, because not only are they a great-tasting, but are convenient to eat.
Though just 9.9 percent of the citrus volume sold, Mandarins represented 36.4 percent of dollar sales in the U.S. retail market for the year September 2014 to September 2015. By comparison, oranges, which form 30 percent of the category volume, represented a lesser share — 29.2 percent — of the overall spent.
Through early June, Chilean citrus exports were at 25,906 tons (just over 1.6 million boxes), 80 percent of which were destined for the U.S. Exports to the U.S. market through early June included 121 tons of Navels, 14,069 tons of clementines and 6,349 tons of lemons.
The period June-August is the primary season for Chilean lemons. Of all the lemons entering the U.S. from the Southern Hemisphere, Chile had an astounding 95 percent market share last year, shipping nearly 34,000 tons to the U.S. This year, Chile’s exports of lemons totaled 20,372 tons by mid June, up 104 percent from last season. Out of this volume, 55 percent were destined for North America,
YTD volume shipped to the North American market is 119 percent greater than the same time in 2015. Despite the initial increase in volume shipped to this market, it is expected to slow down, as the total forecast of 60,000 tons is four percent less than last year’s volume of 62,196 tons.
Peru shipments are expected to start arriving the first week of July.
California citrus is nearly finished, opening the door for imports that will last from from July well into October.
South African clementines, Cara Caras and other varieties were beginning to arrive at U.S. ports. However, while South African citrus exports were running early and had good volumes, the total imported this season could be less than in previous years due to weather conditions.