Some optimism has returned to the Australian citrus industry with a positive outlook for the valencia season.

Good rainfall this year has lead to an increase in this season’s valencia crop, Citrus Board CEO Andrew Green told the ABC.

The crop is estimated at 60,000 tonnes, a 20 per cent increase on earlier predictions.

The rain had also boosted fruit size, which bodes well for certain export markets, he said.

Growers would also benefit from a late US navel crop, he added.“This will certainly help us because it means that some of those key markets, particularly our Asian markets, we’ve got a window where we’ll have our product sitting there before the markets are flooded or impacted with US navels.

Meanwhile, citrus growers in the Riverina region of New South Wales are looking to establish a grower-owned public company to create marketing opportunities for their produce.

Riverina Citrus CEO Dom Testoni said a juice company and a labour hire company were some of the options growers were considering.

“We’re looking at opportunities that exist with the waste that is apparent and looking at the issue around carbon tax, whether there is any option there for our farmers,” he added.


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