China News Service, February 29th. According to Taiwan's United News Network, due to price and climate impact, the number of citrus orchards growing in Australia has gradually decreased, and Australian supermarkets may have difficulty selling fresh Australian orange juice.
According to reports, in the past 20 years, the area of sweet oranges used for juice extraction has shrunk by 30%. Australian Citrus Association Chief Executive Nathan Hancock said low retail prices prevented juice companies from paying reasonable prices for fruit growers.
"The farmers are under tremendous pressure and Australian consumers may not be able to drink fresh Australian orange juice for at least five years. We are very concerned that the pressure exerted by large retailers on fruit juice manufacturing will force farmers to leave the industry," Hankook said. "
According to reports, if farmers grow oranges or navel oranges, they can have two to three times the profit.
In addition to low prices, the recent climate has also affected the overall harvest. Hankook said citrus production could be in short supply this year. Frost in spring 2019, heat waves during Christmas and New Year, damage to fruit, yields may fall by as much as 45%. High irrigation costs also result in unwillingness or unaffordability of full-scale irrigation costs for fruit farmers.
If there is a shortage of fresh fruit juice in Australian supermarkets, it is unlikely to be replaced by imported fruit juice because the shelf life of fresh fruit juice is too short.
However, there may be an increase in fruit juice imports from Brazil to Australia, which are processed and frozen, thawed and bottled after import. Imports of fruit juice products at room temperature may also grow, and such fruit juices have a longer life span.
The Citrus Association of Australia said it had written to large retailers asking for a discussion on selling prices.