Climate problems during the 2007 orange crop may have discouraged many farmers from investing in the 2008 season, likely to be much smaller in size

Notwithstanding climate problems, the volume of the 2007 orange crop in São Paulo was up 3.62% from the previous year. The crop amounted to a total of 365.8 million 40.8-kilo boxes, equivalent to 14.9 million tons, while last year it was 353 million boxes (14.4 million tons). The figures were released by the Agricultural Economy Institute (IEA), an organ that reports to the Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply in São Paulo.

The orchards of São Paulo represent about 80% of the Brazilian orange crop, though in terms of area, it is 70%. According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), in 2006 (the latest available data) Brazil harvested 18,032,313 tons of oranges: São Paulo accounted for 14,367,011 tons of this amount. The states share in area reached 571,532 hectares, out of a total of 813,354 hectares devoted to the fruit across Brazil. 

According to the president of the Brazilian Association of Citrus Growers (Associtrus), Flávio Viegas, the 2007/08 crop was marked by climate problems, which will have consequences over the coming season. The untimely rains in July 2007 anticipated the blossoming stage of the trees. And it was aborted by the drought conditions between August and October. The delay of the 2008/09 crop is likely to reduce the crop size by 20% to 35%, he estimates. 

IEA researchers understand that the bigger size of the crop in São Paulo has to do with the investments made by the growers in irrigation systems and other fronts. According to preliminary data released by the Center for Advanced Studies on Applied Economics (CEPEA), of the School of Agriculture Luiz de Queiroz  (Esalq), the gross income from the orange crop in São Paulo reached US$ 3.4 billion, in 2007/08, up 4% from the previous year. To reach this figure, the researchers of the organ took into consideration the average price paid by the industry to the growers and the quotes of the domestic market. A final balance is to come out only June 2008, when the crop year comes to a close. 

Although celebrating higher profits, compared to the previous year, income distribution was not uniform among the growers. The Cepea ascertained a variation from US$ 8 to US$ 13 per box. To calculate the gross income of the growers, they took into consideration the average prices of the 2006/07 and 2007/08 contracts, says researcher Margarete Boteon.

The state of São Paulo harvests about 80% of the Brazilian orange crop.

Fonte - Anuário Brasileiro da Fruticultura 2008