According to the USDA report, recent rains in Spain's principal citrus growing areas have caused the loss of many flowers, and there is fear that some tree roots may be damaged. However, if the weather improves over the next few weeks, more flowers could bloom, and as a result the USDA estimates and orange crop of 2.6million tonnes for next season and an easy-peel crop of some 1.6mt, roughly five per cent down on estimates for this season.

Meanwhile, official data estimates Spain's 2001-02 orange crop to be higher than previous estimates and some four per cent up on 2000-01. Across all varieties of citrus, the estimate is for a crop broadly in line with last year at 5.5million tonnes.

However, producers have been pessimistic about the season as a series of weather problems dogged their crops from the start. High temperatures last May upset fruit set and hailstorms in some areas damaged trees. Further hot weather in October brought on early ripening only for fruit to be damaged by heavy rainfall in November. Continuing bouts of rainfall and low temperatures also took their toll on fruit, particularly easy-peelers, throughout December and January. Fruit prices have also been lower on average this season than last and the US market was lost to Spanish exports of easy-peelers on plant health grounds early in the season.

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