Information published by Ismea suggests that orange production in Italy will be around 1.69m tonnes this season, around 33 per cent down on the figure for 2007/08 and some 29 per cent lower than the three-year average for 2005-2007.
As a result, exports are forecast at 106,100 tonne, around 18per cent lower than in the year-earlier period and representing an 8per cent fall on the period 2005-2007.
Imports, meanwhile, areexpected to rise to 103,500 tonnes, up 6 per cent on 2007/08 and 10 percent higher than the same three-year average.
Sicilian oranges, arguably the most successful of Italy's regional orange exports to Europe as well as the US, Japan and Russia over recent years, are expected to see a 24 pwer cent downturn in volumes to 824,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, smaller crops are also anticipated in Calabria, down 38 per cent to 666,000 tonnes, in Puglia, down 35 per cent to 116,000 tonnes, and in Basilicata, down 28 per cent to 80,000 tonnes.
The downturn has been blamed on icy spring weather, which affected a number of production areas. According to the Ismea report, production area remains more or less the same as during the previous campaign.
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