Posts Tagged: markets
Supporting farmers markets in the time of COVID-19
What's Happening with Citrus Production?
The USDA has released their Fruit and Nuts Outlook Report which shows the forecast the 2019/2020 seasons and provides an overview of the markets.
The 2019/20 citrus crop is forecast to be 7.63 million tons, down 4 percent from the previous season. Declines in overall production can mostly be attributed to smaller lemon, tangerine, and mandarin crops in California. Orange production in California has remained stable since last season. Citrus production in Florida has also remained stable with a 1 percent decline in orange production, and significant increases in grapefruit, tangerine, mandarin, and tangelo production over last year. Overall decreases in production of lemons, tangerines, mandarins, and tangelos are expected to result in increased imports, and higher prices compared with last year.
Fruit and tree nut grower prices began 2020 at low levels. At 117.8 (2011=100), the January 2020 index was down 10 percent from the January 2019 index and below the January average for 2016-18 (fig.1). The January 2020 index was the lowest since January 2013. Significantly lower grower prices for citrus fruit and apples drove down the index (table 1).
As of mid-March 2020, U.S. citrus exports were down except for orange juice and tangerines. Reduced exports have increased the domestic supply of citrus, putting downward pressure on prices. The January 2020 price of all- grapefruit is down 36 percent from the year before, and all-oranges and oranges for the fresh market are down by 6.9 and 9.4 percent respectively. All- lemon prices are down 28.5 percent, and fresh lemons prices are down by 8.6 percent.
Apple prices were down 21 percent in January 2020 from the year before. USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimates the 2019 total apple crop to be up 3.6 percent from 2018. The strong dollar and increased tariffs in several countries have reduced exports, putting downward pressure on prices.
citrus and mountains
Carbon World Conference is in downtown LA
North American Carbon World (NACW) is in downtown Los Angeles from April 24-26. The conference aims...
World Citrus News
There's so much gloom about the fate of citrus in Florida and California, but in spite of that talk, world citrus production is increasing.
Global orange production for 2018/19 is forecast to expand 4.2 million tons from the previous year to 51.8 million as favorable weather leads to larger crops in Brazil and the United States. Consequently, fruit for both fresh and processing uses is expected to be greater. Fresh exports are forecast 4 percent higher to 5.1 million tons.
Brazil's production is forecast to rise 13 percent to 17.8 million tons as favorable weather is expected to result in good bloom and fruit set. Fresh orange consumption and exports are flat while oranges for processing are up 2.0 million tons to 12.8 million.
China's production is projected down slightly to 7.2 million on unfavorable weather, resulting in a smaller crop in Jiangxi province. Along with only a small increase in imports, consumption is
lower on overall reduced supplies. South Africa and Egypt are the top two suppliers, accounting for 60 percent of imports.
U.S. production is forecast to recover, jumping 41 percent to 5.0 million tons due to favorable weather. Orange production in Florida has been declining for years due to citrus greening, which has decimated groves and increased costs for crop maintenance.
However, last year, the industry also suffered from damages caused by Hurricane Irma. This year's higher forecast shows a recovery to recent-year levels. Exports, consumption, and fruit for processing are all higher with the larger crop.
Read more about the world citrus industry and get individual country reports generated by the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service
https://agfstorage.blob.core.windows.net/misc/FP_com/2019/03/04/Florr.pdf
FAS Reports from Overseas Offices The Citrus: World Markets and Trade circular is based on reports from FAS Overseas Posts since December 2018 and on available secondary information. Individual country reports can be obtained on FAS Online at: http://gain.fas.usda.gov/Pages/Default.aspx .
citrus cornucopia
The Meaning of the Brexit Breakdown
I know I pull too much from the Wall Street Journal, but I just can't not share this beautifully phrased paragraph that distills current political streams and what they could mean for the continuing integration of markets and labor across international borders.
Think here about the expansion of export markets for California produce and our continuing need for people to do the work of agriculture, many of whom come from outside of the US.
"But the economic benefits of integration must be weighed against the political loss of sovereignty. You could almost certainly integrate the entire world economically and achieve massive economies of scale and integration. Efficiencies in product, service and labor markets would improve productivity and generate higher overall income levels. But most people in the world wouldn't tolerate the political implications, including free mass integration and steady erosion of cultural identities through universally applied regulations." - Gerard Baker, "The Great Brexit Breakdown", Wall Street Journal, Dec 8, 2018.
My take? If one views the current political state of many of the world's well developed and internationally integrated economies through the lens of the preceding paragraph, a lot of what is happening right now makes sense. With this in mind, the question which follows then would be are we at this time striking the political upper limit to the integration of markets and labor across international borders?