New domino effect of climate change: it could soon be difficult to find orange juice on supermarket shelves. For several weeks, orange concentrate, the raw material used to make juice, “has become very difficult to find for buyers in the sector”, worried the National Professional Union of Fruit Juices (Unijus), Thursday, May 11 in a press release. According to her, concentrate suppliers now impose maximum purchase quotas: an unprecedented situation.
Hurricane and droughts
Main cause of these supply difficulties: the drastic drop in production in the most abundant region of the orange sector, Florida. It was hit in September 2022 by Hurricane Ian, which devastated crops. Trees replanted following the storm will take about four years to produce new fruit.
This climatic hazard is the latest blow to a region already in crisis. Florida, the world’s second largest producer of oranges after Brazil, has also been fighting for 17 years with the Yellow Dragon disease which is rotting its crops. This season, the American State should thus produce 16 million crates of 41 kilograms each, or 60% less than last year, according to AFP. According to Unijus, Florida produced up to 134 million cans a year ten years ago. In Mexico and Spain, the other major orange producers, production has also fallen by 30% due to droughts. “Global warming is accelerating things,” agreed Emmanuel Vasseneix, president of Unijus.
50% more expensive bottles
Brazil, the world’s largest producer, finds itself under strong demand pressure. “The flows that were heading towards Europe are now diverted to the United States, which creates pressure on prices” specifies the president of Unijus. Brazil exported 240,000 tons of oranges to the United States this quarter, up 82% year on year, according to official data relayed by AFP.
A ton of concentrated juice can be bought today for 3,400 euros, compared to 2,600 euros during the previous harvest, i.e. 15 cents more per liter of orange juice on the supermarket shelves according to the calculations of French professionals in the sector. They estimate that the situation could last until September 2023, i.e. the end of the next harvest season (which will start in June). If the risk of a complete shortage has not yet been proven, the price increase is certain: consumers will pay for their bottle of orange juice “50% more expensive than last summer”.