Dip in Brazil’s orange production

The Brazilian orange crop for 2022/23 is forecast at 410.6 million 40.8-kg boxes or 16.75 million tons, a drop of 1.1% from the previous season, due to the lower fruit load per tree associated with the biennial cycle. Meanwhile, orange weight at harvest is projected to increase 3.71% from the previous year, due to heavy rains throughout the citrus belt since October 2022, according to the latest USDA report. FCOJ 65 Brix equivalent production for 2022/23 is forecast at 1.125 million tons, a decrease of 9% from the estimated orange juice production for 2021/22, which was revised upward to 1.135 tons. A larger share will supply the US market to compensate for the damage caused to Florida’s juice production by Hurricane Ian.