September 23,2018-
In 2010 Tangerines were a $115 million crop on fifteen thousand acres, compared to $616 million for all orange varieties, on 95 thousand acres planted in Tulare County, the state’s number one citrus producing county.
By 2017 the just released Tulare County Crop Report says Tangerines (also known as Mandarines) have climbed to the number five crop in the county valued at $463 million on 26,000 acres.
Meanwhile Tulare County’s Navel oranges are grown on 79,500 acres and the Valencia variety is grown on 15,000 acres, not much different from 2010. For 2017 the per ton value is $651 for Navels, and $680 per ton for Valencias. By comparison Tangerines are now valued at nearly three times that number -$1740 per ton.
In 2017 the staple of Tulare County’s citrus industry, the Navel orange crop, was valued $589 million. Now those tangy tangerines are within shouting distance wth a value $463 million.
Send in the Mandarines
Despite the growth in value here the US is bit player when it comes to Tangerine production.
USDA estimates that global production of Mandarins for 2017/18 is forecast flat at 30 million tons, with US production just 758,000 tons. It’s China that is offsetting declines elsewhere in the world such as the European Union and the United States. Fresh consumption and exports led by China and Turkey, are also flat.
U.S. production is estimated to drop 19 percent to 758,000 tons due to unfavorable weather says the agency. China’s production is forecast up 3 percent to a record 21.2 million tons due to favorable weather. As the largest producer, China represents over 70 percent of global production and consumption and over one-fifth of global exports.
Production in the European Union is expected to fall 10 percent to 3.1 million tons due to unfavorable weather in Spain. Morocco production is nearly double what we grow in the US.
US citrus production has been hurt by pest and weather problems in Florida.The USDA set the total 2017-18 Florida citrus crop value at nearly $551.2 million, down from a revised estimate of $927 million for the state’s 2016-17 citrus crop. A year ago, the agency estimated the 2016-17 crop at $780.7 million.Both hurricanes and citrus greening have reduced the crop even as juice consumption continues to plummet.
Unlike Florida most of California citrus goes to the fresh market.Unlike Navels most Tangerines go to the domestic market where they have been in recent years been branded with names like Delites, Cuties, Pixies, on the newer easy-peel, low or no
seed varieties that have been developed by USDA and UC researchers in collaboration with the industry.
Some growers expect Valley Tangerine production to eclipse Navels in coming years.That has already happened in Kern County where Tangerines reached at value of $394 million in 2017 vs $340 million for Navel oranges. Kern was again the number-one ag producing county last year narrowly edging out Tulare and Fresno counties.
Besides Tangerines 2017 also saw a big jump in value for Valley lemons. Tulare acreage of lemons was 8,900 acres ,up from 7100 acres in 2016 with the crop valued at $171 million compared to $118 million in 2016.