Spanish Ministry of Agriculture presents 2026/27 citrus forecast showing a 1.1 per cent increase on the prior season
Spain is forecasting a citrus harvest of 5.7mn tonnes in the 2026/27 season, up 1.1 per cent on the previous year.
While the year-on-year forecast is slightly higher, production will remain 4.2 per cent below the five-year average.
The figures were presented by Ana Rodríguez Castaño, secretary general for agricultural resources and food safety, at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food’s citrus sector roundtable, held yesterday (15 September).
The 2025/26 season ended with ”the lowest production levels of the last decade”, which puts the predicted 2026/27 increase into greater context.
According to the Ministry, the coming season will benefit from good water availability following winter and spring rains.
However, high summer temperatures caused fruit drop, lowering initial harvest expectations – particularly for oranges and clementines.
By product group, orange production is set to reach 2.8mn tonnes, down 4.6 per cent from the previous season.
Oranges account for the largest share of the country’s citrus production, representing 49 per cent of the total volume.
Soft citrus fruit production will reach 1.8mn tonnes, up 0.8 per cent on the prior year, while the lemon harvest is expected to recover to 991,800 tonnes, a 21 per cent increase.
Grapefruit production is set to hit a new record for a third consecutive year, exceeding 110,000 tonnes, growth of 4.7 per cent.
During the meeting, participants also analysed market outlooks, foreign trade trends and the current phytosanitary situation for the citrus business.
