Spain’s Citrus Harvest 2022/2023: Regional Declines and Market Shifts
Spain’s Valencia region, along with other key orange producers such as Andalusia, Murcia, and Catalonia, is facing a notable drop in citrus output for the 2022/2023 campaign. The Ministry of Agriculture projects a total production around 5.968 million tons, reflecting a significant downturn from the prior season. This marks a decline of about 15.6% from the last campaign and roughly 12.8% below the five-year average, representing an estimated reduction of 1.1 million tons. To observe a campaign with even lower volumes, one would have to look back to 2012/13. Latest figures also show a 1.7% expansion in cultivated area in 2021, totaling approximately 219,096 hectares.
The agriculture department notes that extreme weather was a decisive factor in the reduced yield. Heavy rainfall during flowering and fruit setting, coupled with unusually high temperatures in later stages and irrigation restrictions in certain zones, contributed to the downturn. Nonetheless, authorities highlight that cold treatment for imports from third countries, notably South Africa, will play a key role in shaping the upcoming campaign. This approach aims to curb the so-called citrus invasion and support a recovery in European markets, potentially easing pressure on prices for growers after a recent spike in origin costs linked to demand shifts.
On a product basis, oranges bore the steepest decline, down nearly 20% from the prior season and about 15.7% below the five-year average. Small citrus fruits showed a more modest year-on-year drop of around 9.8%, with a 9.1% decrease relative to recent averages. Lemons fell by about 12.4% year over year and 11.3% against the five-year mean, while grapefruits declined by roughly 13.7% and 4.5%, respectively. Oranges remain the leading citrus item by volume, estimated at about 3.0 to 3.01 million tons, accounting for roughly half of Spain’s total citrus production. Within oranges, about three-quarters belong to the core market group. The Valencian harvest capacity is projected at close to 2.99 million tons, with around 1.2 million tons attributed to tangerines and 1.4 million to oranges. Lemons are forecast at 256,000 tons.
Nationwide, tangerines are expected to total about 1.954 million tons, representing roughly one-third of the national citrus output, while clementines form the dominant subcategory within the minor citrus segment. Lemon production is the lowest in seven seasons, at approximately 919,000 tons, or about 15.4% of total citrus. Grapefruit is forecast at around 75,394 tons, about 1.3% of the national total, marking the weakest harvest in the last three campaigns after two consecutive record years.
Trends in Planting and Regional Share
Several regions are expanding planting efforts, especially for lemons and grapefruit, with more than 10% growth in these categories. Murcia leads with a roughly 7% increase, followed by Andalusia at about 3.2%. The campaign began on September 1 and introduces a notable policy innovation: the cold treatment for EU imports of citrus from countries where pests like the orange tree moth are present, a measure defended by Spain to protect domestic production.
The Valencian Community is projected to hold about 49% of Spain’s citrus production, up from 47% the previous year. Yet this share is far smaller than four decades ago, when the region accounted for roughly 80% of national output. Over recent years, production has shifted southward toward Murcia and, in particular, Andalusia, while marketing remains concentrated within the community. According to industry expert Francisco Borras, exports of oranges and tangerines from the Valencian Community have represented about 78% of Spain’s total citrus exports in the last five years, even though harvests accounted for only half of the country’s production. This indicates a rebalancing of production across regions while markets remain centralized in the south and within the Community (Valencia Fruits analysis, 2023).