Southern Hemisphere citrus exports to fall 2.64% in 2011
Despite bumper lemon crops in Argentina, data released by Freshfel Europe and SHAFFE shows Southern Hemisphere citrus exports will likely fall 2.64% to 2,334,997 metric tons (MT) this year. 
Southern Hemisphere citrus production is expected to drop by 0.63% this year to 6.496 million MT, driven partly by large volume falls in South Africa (4.3%), Peru (6.1%) and Uruguay (8.8%).
The Freshfel-SHAFFE report showed South Africa would remain the Southern Hemisphere's biggest citrus producer, despite an expected fall in volume to 2.157 million MT.
On a more positive note, Australia's citrus production is expected to recover by 18.5% to 600,000MT, while Argentina and Chile expect moderate growth of 2% to 2,040,000MT and 522,000MT respectively.
In terms of fruit categories, orange and mandarin production is expected to fall by 9%, while lemon and grapefruit volumes are expected to rise 18% and 12% respectively.
Orange and mandarin exports are expected to decrease by 8.5% and 6.2%, while lemons and grapefruit exports should rise by 11% and 16%.
Some notable country-specific export forecasts include an 84.5% jump for Australian lemons and limes, and a 143.15% rise for Uruguayan grapefruit.
The report said exchange rates for citrus-growing countries with the US dollar and the euro could affect estimates, while ongoing demand in the Middle East and Asia combined with Japanese demand for grapefruit could also have an impact.
The survey did not include citrus production from Brazil, which is the world's largest orange producer.
Related stories: Juicy citrus profits for Argentina and Peru in 2011
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