Intense heat warns citrus growers in Brazil

The second fortnight of September was marked by extremely high temperatures in São Paulo State. This scenario warned citrus growers, since intense heat may damage the oranges from both the current (2023/24) and the coming seasons (2024/25).

In the 2023/24 crop – which is currently being harvested –, the biggest problem has been wilted fruits, according to Cepea collaborators. This feature reduces both quality and remuneration, since the oranges become lighter because of the loss of water. On the other hand, for the industry, fruits quality rises slightly, due to higher yield and ºbrix.

On the other hand, for the coming season (24/25), although the effects of the hot weather from September are still uncertain, growers are concerned about fruitlet fall, which may be higher than the usual. This context could lead to a lower number of fruits per tree.

Also, the fact that many orchards have been affected by greening makes the situation worse. A survey from Fundecitrus (Citrus Defense Fund) shows that 38.06 % of the trees in the citrus belt (São Paulo + Triângulo Mineiro) have had symptoms of the disease this year, 56 % above that from 2022 and the sixth consecutive year of increase in the incidence of greening.