© Inter Bio Corse

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the EU’s future action plan for the development of EU organic production. The action plan will complement the new legal framework for Organic Agriculture (Regulation (EU) 2018/848) that will enter into force on January 1st, 2022.

EU apple prices were well above the 5-year average at the start of the new marketing year on 1st August 2020, due to a smaller crop. The volume of the EU28 crop is expected to be about 10.79 million tons, according to WAPA data. The volume of the new crop is 1% below 2019’s small crop and 7% less than the 5-year reference average.

AILIMPO´s first estimate for Spain’s 2020/2021 lemon harvest is of 1,250,000 tons, representing an overall increase of 10% compared to 2019/2020. Whether this first crop estimate is realised will depend on the availability of water in summer and autumn rains. The estimated global lemon production figure will allow Spain to remain the leading exporter of fresh lemon, and the second largest processor of lemon juice, essential oil and dehydrated peel in the world.

The 2019/20 EU citrus crop is projected to fall, mainly due to unfavourable weather in Spain, according to FAS Madrid data. Fruit quality is estimated to be excellent. Consumption of citrus is predicted to rise in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, as consumers look for sources of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system. The higher demand and lower supply pushed up prices in Spain during the first 16 weeks of 2020. EU imports of citrus are expected to grow slightly, mainly from Morocco and South Africa.

The 2019/20 EU orange crop is predicted to fall 9% from 2018/19 to 6.2 million tons, according to FAS data. The drop is the result of the heavy rains that hit Spain’s main growing regions of Valencia and Andalusia during the spring and autumn. In line with the reduced output, EU orange juice production is estimated to be down 21%  to 83,724 tons.

The 2019/20 global apple crop is projected to be up 7% to 75.8 million tons, as China rebounds from last year’s frost-hit campaign, more than offsetting plummeting production in the EU, according to USDA/FAS data. Despite higher supplies, exports are estimated to be lower due to reduced shipments from the EU, Moldova, and Turkey. China’s production is expected to jump 24% to a near-record level of 41.0 million tons.

The global 2019/20 grape crop is projected to grow 4% to 23.4 million tons, thanks to rebounding China supplies, according to USDA/FAS data. However, exports are expected to shrink slightly as lower shipments from India and the US more than offset gains from China and Mexico. China’s output is predicted to climb 9% to 10.8 million tons, as vineyards recover from last year’s severe frost. Rebounding supplies are expected to drive exports to a record 360,000 tons, as higher shipments to the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Vietnam facilitate China’s continuing upward trend.

While many South-East Asian countries are currently banned from exporting vegetables to the EU, Cambodia has the opportunity to make the most of this time. This is the strategy outlined by the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries senior official Ngin Chhay, speaking to a press conference last Wednesday. Cambodia are in an advantageous position as Vietnam and Thailand currently have “red cards” issued against them by the EU which temporarily block their vegetable exports to the region.