Orange juice exports up 33%

According to CitrusBR (National Association of Citrus Juice Exporters), total shipments of Brazilian orange juice (FCOJ Equivalent to 66º Brix) in the first quarter of the 2019/2020 season had a 33% increase over the same period of the last season. This season, exports totaled 291,767 tons, compared to 218,768 in the period of 2018/2019. In revenue, shipments for the period totaled US$508.4m, 23% above the US$414.7m obtained in the previous crop.

For the European Union, the main destination of Brazilian orange juice, exports totaled 225,462 tons, a 56% increase compared to 144,299 tons shipped in the same period of 2018/2019. In turnover, shipments totaled US$401.5m, up 48% from US$271,145.

Exports to the United States fell: between July and September, 37,106 tons of orange juice were shipped, 16% below the 44,238 tons registered in the same period of the previous crop. In revenue, the current drop represented 32%, with US$57.8m compared to US$84.5m between July and September 2018. “With greater availability of juice in the square because of the large supply and with depreciated prices this recovery was a possibility, however, we have to consider that the base is low since last year’s exports did not perform well,” says CitrusBR CEO Ibiapaba Netto.

As for the countries of the Asian continent, Japan and China continue to occupy the position of third and fourth major customers of national orange juice. For Japan, there was a drop in shipments compared to the first quarter of last year. This season already shipped 13,270 tons, 10% less than the 14,697 in the previous season. In revenues, the decrease was 19%, with US$22.4m this season, compared to US$27.6m last season.

For China, shipments increased considerably in the period: 9,125 tons of orange juice were shipped to the country, 74% more than the shipments registered in the first quarter of 2018, which were 5,255 tons. Revenue was US$13,154, up 17% from US$11,286 in the first quarter of 2018/2019. “Undoubtedly it is very good that the year starts at this rate, we need to hope that the shipments continue at this rate until the end of this year,” says the Executive.

Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice (FCOJ)

In the first three months of the 2019/2020 harvest, the volume of frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) exported to all destinations totaled 227,566 tons, 38.5% more than the volume shipped in the same period last year of 164,252 tons. In revenue, the FCOJ obtained US$383m in the current period, 23.4% above last period’s US$310.2m.

For the European Union, 175,913 tons of FCOJ were shipped from July to September, 65.8% more than the 106,042 tons exported in the first quarter of the 2018/2019 harvest. In revenue, the period totaled US$303.1m, 51% over US$200.6m.

For the United States, 22,465 tons of FCOJ were shipped in the first quarter, a decrease of 19.7% over the same period last year, when Brazil exported 27,991 to the country. This season, sales totaled US$30.9m, 39% below the US$50.7m of the previous crop.

The following DataLiner graph shows Brazil’s month-by-month orange juice exports statistics:

NFC (Not From Concentrate)

NFC exports to all destinations also increased in the first three months of the 2019/2020 crop compared to the same period of the 2018/2019 crop. In volume, the increase was of 14.82%, with 353,105 tons compared to 307,526 tons. In revenue, US$125.3m were obtained, 20% above US$104.4m in the same period of the previous crop.

To the countries of the European Union, 272,524 tons were exported, 26.28% more than the 215,809 tons shipped between July and September 2018. In revenue, these shipments totaled US$98.3m, 39.51% above the US$70.5m. “Unconcentrated juice has been a big star in Brazilian exports,” says Netto.

For the United States, NFC shipments in the first quarter of 2019/2020 declined: 80,526 tons of non-concentrated juice went to this destination, which represents a decrease of 12.14% compared to the same period last season, when 91,649 tons were exported. In revenue, the fall was of 20.23%, with US$26.9m compared to US$33.8m. “The American crop has recovered quite consistently, so it was expected that there would be some kind of impact on Brazilian exports,” says the CitrusBR executive.

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