Fruitnet Citrus Congress to unite competing origins around shared challenges

With competition intensifying, production costs rising and consumer demand flagging, the global citrus industry cannot afford to stand still. Fruitnet Citrus Congress 2026 will bring together leading players from across the international supply chain to challenge conventional thinking, share new ideas and explore how the entire category can move forward.

Taking place at the Meliá Hotel, Valencia on 24-25 November, the congress will assemble growers, exporters, importers, retailers, breeders, technology providers and other industry specialists for a programme designed to broaden the conversation around fresh citrus and identify practical opportunities for growth.

At the heart of this year’s programme is a high-level international panel bringing together leading players from Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Spain and South Africa. As new suppliers claim a greater share of the European market, these key producing countries will explore how they can collaborate to address common challenges, from rising costs and climate pressures to stagnant consumption and the need for more effective category marketing.

The message is clear: Competition is a reality of the global citrus business, but growing the category is a shared responsibility. Fruitnet Citrus Congress looks beyond individual markets and commercial rivalries to consider the industry’s collective future.

The congress will open with a data-driven assessment of global supply, pricing and consumption, featuring RaboResearch’s Cindy van Rijswick alongside representatives from Marks & Spencer, Genesis Fresh and Olympic Fruit. Further sessions will examine Spain’s changing competitive position and how the industry can make citrus more relevant to younger consumers through smarter, more effective marketing.

Retail perspectives will be central to the discussion, with leading buyers from Marks & Spencer and Tesco contributing insights into the trends and requirements shaping the market. For suppliers, these conversations offer a valuable opportunity to understand what customers want and how the category can respond.

The programme also looks well beyond the traditional citrus agenda. New Frontiers for Citrus will explore Vietnam’s potential as both a supply origin and a growth market, progress towards commercially viable robotic harvesting, new tree-production techniques designed to improve efficiency and reduce disease risk, and the emerging applications of citrus in science and gastronomy.

Other sessions will examine opportunities in lemons, limes and grapefruit, greener post-harvest solutions, and ways to build more dependable supply chains in an increasingly uncertain world.

For companies across the value chain, from variety developers and growers to packers, logistics providers, sorting and grading technology manufacturers and post-harvest specialists, the congress offers more than market intelligence. It provides a chance to connect with decision makers, discover innovations and identify new commercial opportunities.

“Fruitnet Citrus Congress is designed to take the industry beyond familiar conversations,” says event organiser Maura Maxwell. “By bringing different countries, disciplines and perspectives together, we want to encourage fresh thinking and help turn shared challenges into opportunities for growth.”

With a full day of conference sessions followed by hosted visits to selected production and distribution facilities, Fruitnet Citrus Congress offers an opportunity to step back from day-to-day pressures and consider what comes next for the global citrus business.

Registration is now open. Join the industry’s leading voices in Valencia and help shape the future of fresh citrus.

View the programme and register: https://www.fruitnet.com/citruscongress/agenda