Orange production in Brazil could plummet to almost the 1988-89 season’s low levels owing to greening disease’s effect on orange groves. 

Accordingly, the orange states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais might harvest 233.38 million 40.8 kg bags (9.73 million tonnes). This will be 24.4% below the 2023-24 period’s output and only better than the 1988-89 levels.

The projection is almost half the 2023-24 season’s forecast of 408 million 40.8 kg bags (16.5 million tonnes). 

Weather & Disease Dip Orange Production in Brazil Year-on-Year

Causes of the depreciation include changing weather and “citrus greening,” a bacterial disease spread by minute insects known as psyllids. Before early 2024, the disease had affected groves as far north as Florida in the United States.

This disease also caused a dip of 1.12 million tonnes (1.64%) in the 2023-24 seasonal forecast vis-á-vis the 2022-23 season. 

In comparison, the relatively disease-free year 2022 saw production hit 16.9 million tonnes, a 4% year-on-year increase.

As the leader of orange juice production in the world, Brazil harvests seasonal oranges in over half-a-million hectares. Estimates however put the 2023-24 acreage to have shrunk to 0.58 million hectares from 0.59 million hectares in 2022. 

Giant  Fresh Juice Market 

Around 70% of all oranges from Brazil go into fresh juice production while 30% feature in fruit markets. 

Almost all fruits undergo local utilization with virtually no exports. The country even supplements domestic supplies with imports from Spain, France and Argentina. Import estimates for the 2023-24 season clocked 30,000 tonnes, a 3000-tonne increase from the 2022-23 period.

The juice sector gobbled up some 1.05 million tonnes of oranges in the 2023-24 market year, a 1.6% yearly dip. 

In short, even as orange production in Brazil falls into a 30-year low, local juice production still commands demand.

Brazil Oranges Statistics

With which orange product export does Brazil lead the world? Orange juice: Brazil supplies 80% of the orange juice in world markets. How much juice is consumed in Brazil? Around 40,000 tonnes (40,800 kilo litres) per year or 5% of the U.S.’ consumption total.  Who are the biggest buyers of Brazil’s orange products? The United States and the European Union.

How many oranges as a representation of the world’s total come from Brazil? Nearly every 3 in 10 oranges produced in the world or 35% of global orange production takes place in Brazil. Does Brazil import orange juice? Brazil is self-sufficient in orange juice production but imports 30,000 tonnes (2022 estimate) of oranges to meet its juice industry’s demand.