Brazil Orange Production Recovers, but Lower Juice Quality Limits Exports

Juice News 🧃

Tajín and Bolthouse Farms debut zesty-sweet smoothie

Bolthouse Farms and Tajín have collaborated on a limited-time summer smoothie featuring mango and Tajín's chile-lime flavor. This partnership introduces a zesty-sweet beverage that combines the refreshing taste of mango with a spicy kick, catering to consumers looking for unique and flavorful drink options during the summer season.

Brazil: Lower quality and high prices limit juice exports

Lower quality orange juice in the 2024/25 crop and high prices are restricting Brazil's juice exports, as highlighted by CEPEA researchers. Data from Comexstat supports this trend.

Retail Sees No Reason To Cheer PepsiCo’s Plan Tapping Salesforce’s AI Agents To Simplify Operations

PepsiCo has partnered with Salesforce to integrate AI agents from the Agentforce platform into its operations for improved customer support and operational efficiency. This move led to a slight increase in PepsiCo's stock value. The collaboration aims to leverage AI technology to streamline processes and enhance overall performance within the company's retail operations.

Sugar reduction by BlueTree comes to Europe

BlueTree introduces technology in Europe that reduces sugar in juice by up to 30% without compromising taste or using sweeteners. The company plans to extend this clean-label approach to dairy and beer products, offering a healthier option for consumers seeking reduced sugar alternatives.

Citrus News 🍊

Greece orange prices up 36%, Spain hits €90/100kg

Orange prices in Spain, Greece, Italy, and Portugal fluctuated notably between February and April 2025. Spain saw a steady increase from €81/100 kg in February to €84 in March, reaching €90 by April. In Greece, prices surged by 36%, while Italy and Portugal experienced more stable pricing. These price dynamics reflect the market conditions and supply chain influences during the specified period.

Brazil: Tree Inventory and Orange Crop Forecast 2025-2026

The 11th edition of the Tree Inventory and Orange Crop Forecast, conducted by Fundecitrus in collaboration with FCAV/Unesp, presents a comprehensive update on citrus production across the São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt. The report is based on full remapping and in-field data collection from August 2024 to May 2025 and reflects a notable rebound in orange production following years of challenges.

Key Highlights:

• Significant Production Recovery: The 2025–2026 orange crop is forecasted to be 36.2% higher than the previous season, returning to historical production levels. This rebound follows a year of adverse weather, greening disease impact, and an abnormal fourth bloom.

• Total Tree Inventory: The region now has 209.08 million orange trees, a 4.9% increase since 2022.

  • Bearing trees: 182.71 million (+7.5%)

  • Non-bearing trees: 26.37 million (−10.1%)

• Planted Area: The total citrus area slightly increased to 462,261 hectares (+340 ha from 2022), reversing a prior trend of decline. Orange groves now occupy 405,253 hectares (88% of total), with 394,918 ha dedicated to key varieties.

• Regional Shifts: Northern and Northwestern sectors experienced the highest growth in area due to lower greening incidence, while the Southern sector declined by 7.33%. The Matão and Altinópolis regions saw the largest expansion of irrigation, which now covers 45% of all groves.

• Eradication Trends: The average eradication rate dropped to 11.93% (down from 18.61% in 2022), largely due to favorable orange prices encouraging growers to retain low-yield groves.

• Farm Consolidation: The number of orange farms fell from 5,134 to 4,688 as smallholders exited the sector, raising the average farm size from 75 to 84 hectares.

• Varietal Composition: Five main varieties make up 90% of the belt's trees:

  • Pera (mid-season): 36%

  • Valencia (late): 25%

  • Hamlin (early): 12%

  • Natal (late): 9%

  • Valencia Americana (early): 6%

• Tree Density: Overall density is 529 trees/hectare. Newer plantings average 608 trees/hectare, reflecting moderate intensification after prior reductions for manageability.

• Greening Disease Management: Growers are strategically expanding into lower-risk areas. While disease incidence is increasing, improved management practices and geographic shifts are helping mitigate its impact.

The São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt is demonstrating resilience and strategic adaptation to climate and disease pressures. With improved yields, a growing share of irrigated groves, and increased productivity from maturing trees, the sector is positioned for a strong 2025–2026 season—underscoring the effectiveness of long-term investments in disease control, farm consolidation, and regional diversification.

Research Worth Reading 🔬

Probiotics remain potent in simple plant-based drinks

Non-encapsulated probiotics show resilience in plant-based drinks like fruit and vegetable juices, preserving their effectiveness and taste qualities. This discovery opens up opportunities for creating novel functional beverages that offer the benefits of probiotics in a simple and appealing format.

Rootstocks for Improved Tolerance to HLB

Using tolerant rootstocks is a crucial long-term strategy to combat Huanglongbing (HLB) in citrus trees, aiding in maintaining productivity and improving tree survival rates.

YOLOV8-CMS: a high-accuracy deep learning model for automated citrus leaf disease classification and grading

The study introduces a deep learning model, YOLOV8-CMS, to classify and grade citrus leaf diseases, crucial for improving citrus industry productivity and fruit quality. By utilizing advanced techniques like CSPPC, MultiDimen, and SpatialConv, this model offers a high-accuracy solution for automated disease identification, aiding in efficient disease management strategies.