Industry association Citrus Australia says higher demand for Australian oranges overseas have combined with the depreciated exchange rate to lift grower returns this season.

In a release, Citrus Australia market development manager Andrew Harty said good quality fruit was coupled with positive market dynamics, including the reopening of Vietnam.

"Movement in Japan is progressing well now that US oranges are out of the market," Harty said.

"Orders in China remain strong, and reports from the wholesale markets show good movement at strong prices."

Inspection of containers for South Korea is progressing well, with about 25 loads shipped to date, while the association also highlighted a preference for large sized fruit in the now accessible Vietnamese market was a "boon" for exporters.

The group said the Navel crop was on target to reach early season estimates of 220,000 metric tons (MT), and surveys of packing sheds indicated the harvest was 40% complete.

Most regions are still in the midst of Washingtons, although some late navel picking has begun.

Harty said fruit quality had been excellent, with minimal rind blemish producing high pack-outs.

"Fruit size is also good, although possibly on the large size from some farms," Harty said.

"Although some bigger counts are proving less easy to move, this is a far better situation than having small fruit."

The association also made an announcement this week about the second discovery of citrus greening in California, using the detection as an opportunity to put Australian growers on alert for potential detections of the disease's vector, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP).

Citrus biosecurity manager Stuart Pettigrew said the long delay between finding ACP and finding HLB was due to the Californian citrus industry's concerted push to keep the psyllid under control through management programs, industry coordination, community engagement and quarantine actions.

"Compare this with Florida, where ACP detections were not immediately responded to, and widespread detections of HLB followed soon after," Pettigrew said.

He said the comparison between the two states shows just how critical it is to take ACP seriously when first detected.

"Our industry is focussed on making sure the lessons from both California and Florida are heeded by all parties in Australia.

"ACP must be treated as an equal threat to HLB, and early detection through strengthened surveillance must be our priority."

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