Agrumaria - Citrus Report 2027

Content

A new year: challenges and prospects

By Felice Chirico, CEO Agrumaria

pag.

2

The citrus fruit season: data, analyses and prospects pag.

General production overview in Italy Analysis of total citrus fruit production

4

pag.

6

pag.

11

Cultivated area of citrus fruits

pag.

12

Variation of the cultivated area

pag.

13

Analysis of citrus for processing

pag.

15

Conclusion on statistical analysis

pag.

16

Forecast for 2026/2027 season: Italian citrus fruit production

pag.

18

Citrus production in Egypt

pag.

21

Volume allocation and the processing shift

pag.

22

Field update 2026 season

pag.

25

Forecast for 2026/2027 season: citrus fruit production in Egypt

pag.

26

The phytosanitary conditions of citrus groves pag.

29

Stories of passion and sustainability pag.

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CITRUS REPORT 2027

1

A new year:

challenges and prospects

2

Dear Partners, Welcome to the seventh edition of our Citrus Report - the first under our new global identity, Agrumaria, launched in June 2026. The name has

changed; the idea that brings us back to this report every season has not: that clear, verifiable data remain the best guide through a citrus market shaped increasingly by climate variability. In this evolving landscape,

Agrumaria continues to operate at the center of a system that connects Italy and Egypt - two complementary pillars which together are the primary citrus hub of the Northern Hemisphere.

For the third consecutive year, we read Italy and Egypt not as two separate origins, but as one Mediterranean system - and today that logic shows up in how we work: our scale across both origins lets us anticipate and seize growth opportunities. It allows us shift sourcing and production as demand moves, keeping supply aligned with what our customers need.

What began three years ago as a shared narrative has now become a shared operating model - and, increasingly, the way the rest of the industry is starting to think about Mediterranean citrus sourcing too.

The analysis that follows rests on verified sources and on Dr. Salvatore Lauria's field insights, with a forward view for 2026/2027 grounded in

Agrumaria's own model - the same rigor our partners have come to expect from every edition.

We trust this edition will serve as a reliable compass through a volatile market, and - as always - an invitation to turn its swings into opportunity.

CEO

CITRUS REPORT 2027

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The citrus fruit season

4

Data, analyses and prospects This section is built entirely on official ISTAT figures from the “Woody Fruit Crops” dataset.

Seasons follow the ISTAT campaign ending-year, so the 2025/2026 campaign corresponds to the ISTAT 2026 release.

It covers production volumes, cultivated area and the share of fruit sent to industrial processing.

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General production overview in Italy Production (ton)

2023/2024

2024/2025

2025/2026

Blond Orange

1,297,091

1,317,069

1,324,887

Blood Orange

545,297

554,131

713,528

Mandarin

152,959

160,672

155,296

Clementine

674,529

687,163

692,287

Lemon

446,752

485,591

510,705

620

710

705

Grapefruit

5,520

5,555

5,555

Bergamot

27,000

27,000

27,000

Cedrat

1,090

1,150

1,150

Chinotto

54

54

54

6,740

6,140

4,387

Lime

Other citrus

Source: ISTAT – Woody Fruit Crops

The headline of the 2025/2026 campaign is growth. Against expectations shaped by a dry season, Italian citrus volumes rose across most of the basket, and the increase is led by a striking recovery in blood orange, which jumped to 713,528 tons - a +28.8% leap on the previous season and by far the strongest performance in the dataset. The scale of the rise points to a pronounced “on” year for the crop, favoured by flowering and set conditions in the key Sicilian districts.

Blond orange, the anchor of Italian production, edged up +0.6% to 1,324,887 tons, its highest level across the three seasons. Lemon extended a steady climb (+5.2% to 510,705 tons), and clementine firmed marginally (+0.8% to 692,287 tons). The only meaningful give-back was mandarin ʛϸʦʡʦʘ ˧ˢ ʤʨʨʟʥʬʩ ˧ˢˡ˦ʜʟ ˪˛˜˟˘ the specialty crops - grapefruit, bergamot, cedrat, chinotto and lime - were essentially unchanged. The overall picture is a broad-based advance in which a single segment, blood orange, supplies most of the additional volume.

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Blond Orange 2025 / 2026

1,324,887 tons

+0.6%

vs 2024/2025

Blood Orange 2025 / 2026

713,528 tons

+28.8%

vs 2024/2025

Mandarin 2025 / 2026

155,296 tons

-3.3% vs 2024/2025

8

Blond orange is the anchor of Italian production and the steadiest of the major categories. Volumes have risen gently across the three seasons (1,297,091 to 1,317,069 to 1,324,887 tons), reaching their highest level in 2025/2026. The +0.6% gain on the previous year is modest but confirms a resilient, low-volatility crop even as its cultivated area edges slightly down.

Blood orange delivered the season’s standout performance. After two broadly stable years around 545,000-554,000 tons, output leapt to 713,528 tons in 2025/2026 - a +28.8% rise and by far the strongest movement in the dataset. With cultivated area actually shrinking (-4.7%), the jump reflects an exceptional per-hectare yield in a favourable on-year rather than any expansion of plantings; given the crop’s sensitivity, it is best read as a high point rather than a new baseline.

Mandarin is the only major category to give ground in 2025/2026. After peaking at 160,672 tons in 2024/2025 it eased to 155,296 tons (-3.3%), returning close to its 2023/2024 level.

The movement is consistent with moderate, alternate-bearing fluctuation around a broadly flat trend rather than structural decline.

Clementine 2025 / 2026

692,287 tons

+0.8% vs 2024/2025

Lemon 2025 / 2026

510,705 tons

+5.2%

vs 2024/2025

Clementine remains one of the most dependable segments, edging up for a second consecutive season to 692,287 tons (+0.8%). The gentle rise is supported by a modestly expanding cultivated area (+2.3%), pointing to continued, if unspectacular, investment in the category.

Lemon extended a steady three-season climb (446,752 to 485,591 to 510,705 tons), adding +5.2% in 2025/2026 to reach the top of its recent range. Unlike blood orange, the gain rests on a stable-to-rising cultivated area and a consistent upward trajectory, making it one of the more durable growth stories in the Italian basket.

Taken together, the five major categories point to concentrated strength rather than a broad-based boom: a record blood-orange crop and a firm lemon rebound drive most of the season's gains, while blond orange and clementine hold steady and only mandarin gives a little ground - overall growth resting on a few standout performers rather than a uniform rise.

Beyond the five majors, the specialty crops were broadly stable in 2025/2026: grapefruit near 5,555 tons and bergamot steady at 27,000 tons, with cedrat, chinotto and lime essentially unchanged, while other citrus (satsumas, other hybrids and minor species) eased to about 4,400 tons, mainly on lower satsuma volumes.

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10

Analysis of total citrus fruit production From 2023/2024 to 2025/2026 Citrus season

Total production (ton)

2023/2024

3,157,652

2024/2025

3,245,235

2025/2026

Variation percentage

+2.77%

VS 2023/2024

+5.86%

VS 2024/2025

3,435,554

+8.80%

VS 2023/2024

Source: ISTAT – Woody Fruit Crops

Aggregate Italian citrus production has risen for two consecutive seasons, from 3.15 million tons in 2023/2024 to 3.43 million in 2025/2026 - a +8.8% gain over the two years and the highest level in the window. The acceleration in the most recent season (+5.9%) is almost entirely attributable to blood orange; stripped of that single segment, the rest of the basket is broadly flat to modestly higher.

The trajectory reframes the sector’s recent narrative. Rather than a story of decline, the data describe a chain capable of delivering strong volumes even as the surface area contracts.

That combination - rising output on a shrinking footprint - is the clearest evidence yet of improving yields.

Read alongside the Egyptian campaign (see p. 21), Italy's 3.44 million tons combine with Egypt's roughly 4 million tons to put the two-origin system close to 7.4 million tons of combined citrus supply in 2025/2026 - the clearest illustration yet of Agrumaria's Mediterranean-wide sourcing model.

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Cultivated area of citrus fruits

From 2023/2024 to 2025/2026 Production area (hectares)

2023/2024

2024/2025

2025/2026

Blond Orange

54,964

55,122

30,042

30,065

54,775

8,876

8,848

26,152

26,374

24,659

24,687

31

35

Bergamot

303

302

1,500

1,500

Chinotto

65

66

6

6

304

251

Blood Orange Mandarin

Clementine Lemon Lime

Grapefruit Cedrat

Other citrus

28,657

8,811

26,975

24,898

35

302

1,500 66 6

181 Source: ISTAT – Woody Fruit Crops

Area tells the mirror-image story to production. Blood orange loses a further 4.7% of its surface in 2025/2026, to 28,657 hectares, extending a multi-year decline - yet its output surged nearly 29%. The gap between a shrinking footprint and a record crop is the single most instructive figure it can only be explained by an exceptional yield per hectare, driven by favourable weather rather than by any expansion of plantings.

Elsewhere the picture is stable to gently positive. Clementine continues to gain ground (+2.3% to 26,975 ha) and lemon area edges up (+0.9%), while blond orange and mandarin give back a little. The specialty crops hold their surface unchanged.

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Variation of the cultivated area From 2023/2024 to 2025/2026 Change in cultivated area (%)

2024/25 vs 2023/24

2025/26 vs 2023/24

2025/26 vs 2024/25

Blood Orange

+0.29

-0.34

+0.08

-4.61

-0.63

Clementine

-0.32

-0.73

+0.85

+3.15

Lime

+0.11

+0.97

+12.90

+12.90

-0.33

-0.33

Cedrat

-

-

+1.54

+1.54

Other citrus

-

-

-17.43

-40.46

Blond Orange Mandarin Lemon

Grapefruit Bergamot Chinotto

-4.68

-0.42

+2.28

+0.85

-

-27.89

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The variation table reads the cultivated-area figures as year-on-year changes and confirms a sector adjusting its footprint selectively rather than retreating across the board. The clearest movement is in blood orange, whose area contracts by 4.68% between 2024/25 and 2025/26 (and 4.61% over the two seasons) - a continuation of a multi-year decline. Read against the blood-orange production surge documented earlier, this shrinking surface underlines that the record 2025/26 crop came from higher yields per hectare, not from new plantings.

The rest of the basket diverges. Clementine expands the most (+3.15% over the two seasons, +2.28% in the latest year), while lemon area edges up (+0.97%) and blond orange and mandarin give back a little ground (-0.34% and -0.73% respectively). Among the minor crops, bergamot, chinotto and cedrat are essentially stable; and other citrus falls sharply -27.89 as compared to previous season.

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14

Analysis of citrus for processing

From 2023/2024 to 2025/2026 Processing converts fresh fruit into juice concentrates, essential oils, pulps and derivates for the beverage, flavour, and cosmetic industries. The table applies Agrumaria’s standard per-fruit processing coefficients to each season’s ISTAT production.

Fruit

% processed

2023/2024

2024/2025

2025/2026

Blond Orange

40%

518,836

526,828

529,955

Blood Orange

40%

218,119

221,652

285,411

Mandarin

25%

38,240

40,168

38,824

Clementine

20%

134,906

137,433

138,457

Lemon

35%

156,363

169,957

178,747

Lime

10%

62

71

70

Grapefruit

10%

552

555

555

Bergamot

99%

26,730

26,730

26,730

Cedrat

40%

436

460

460

Chinotto

99%

53

53

53

ƍ̖Α͔Ɋɦ‫ۯן‬Åƍƛ ƛ‫ۯֽۯ‬Nj̖​̖ɕϤ‫͔ ۯ‬Αʱ͸‫ۯ‬I͔̖͋ͧ

Volumes available for transformation rise in step with the harvest. The blood-orange processing stream expands the most - to roughly 285,000 tons - as the record crop feeds the juice and pigment supply chain, while lemon for processing climbs to about 179,000 tons on the back of three seasons of growth. Blond orange and clementine remain the stable backbone of the juice base, and bergamot and chinotto, processed almost in full for essential oils, are unaffected by the volume swing.

The season therefore delivers not only more fruit but a richer processing mix, with the fastest-growing streams concentrated precisely in the highest-value citrus.

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Conclusion on statistical analysis The three-season ISTAT series overturns the assumption that Italian citrus is in structural retreat. Total production has risen for two consecutive campaigns to a window high of about 3.43 million tons, even as cultivated area continues its slow contraction. Volume, not surface, is where the sector’s story is being written - and volume is now set by the weather.

The defining event of 2025/2026 is the blood-orange surge: a near +29% jump in output on a 4.7% smaller area, a combination that only exceptional per-hectare yields can produce. It illustrates both the upside of the sector’s climatic sensitivity and the danger of extrapolating a single strong year. Lemon’s steadier three-year climb and clementine’s quiet expansion are more durable signals; mandarin’s mild retreat and the flat specialty crops complete a broadly constructive picture.

For planning, three implications stand out: first, the widening gap between area and output rewards investment in yield - irrigation efficiency, resilient rootstocks, precision agronomy - over new plantings; second, the volatility of blood orange in particular argues for supply-chain flexibility and for the complementarity of a second origin; third, a strong processing year in the highest-value segments is an opportunity to deepen derivatives capacity while the fruit is available.

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Forecast for 2026/2027 season: Italian citrus fruit production The 2025/2026 campaign was a strong year, and the central assumption for 2026/2027 is normalisation rather than a further climb. The blood-orange crop, having spiked well above its historical range, is expected to give back much of that gain in a typical “off” year, which drives a modest overall contraction. The remainder of the basket is projected broadly flat, with lemon and clementine retaining their gentle upward bias.

Production (ton)

2025/2026

2026/2027 (forecast)

Direction

Blond Orange

1,324,887

1,320,000

stable

Blood Orange

713,528

605,000

15% lower

Mandarin

155,296

156,000

stable

Clementine

692,287

695,000

slightly up

Lemon

510,705

515,000

slightly up

Bergamot

27,000

27,000

stable

Source: Agrumaria Forecast on 2026/2027 season.

On these assumptions, total citrus production would ease to roughly 3.33 million tons in 2026/2027, about 3% below the 2025/2026 high but still comfortably above the 2023/2024 baseline - a controlled step down from an exceptional year rather than a reversal of the two-season uptrend. The dominant risk is, as ever, climatic: a second favourable spring would sustain blood-orange volumes and turn this forecast conservative, whereas renewed water stress at flowering would deepen the pull-back, particularly for oranges and lemons.

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CITRUS REPORT 2027

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20

Citrus production in Egypt Egypt is the natural counterweight to the Italian season and the world's leading orange exporter, with citrus as a strategic pillar of the country's agriculture and agri-food trade.

Cultivation is concentrated in the Nile Delta and along the river, where a warm climate and a steadily expanding irrigated area sustain a long campaign that runs from December through late spring. The most recent data point to a two-fold dynamic. On one side, total volume is recovering strongly after the weather-hit 2024/2025 campaign; on the other, the balance of the crop is shifting decisively toward industrial processing as new extraction capacity comes on stream.

Orange Production Orange (ton/ha)

2024/2025

2025/2026

Planted Area (ha)

170,000

180,000

Harvested Area (ha)

152,000

170,000

3,500,000

4,000,000

Export

1,800,000

2,000,000

Fresh Consumption

1,150,000

1,100,000

Processing

550,000

900,000

Production (ton)

Source: USDA FAS, Citrus Annual - Egypt

After contracting to 3.5 million tons in 2024/2025 - a low driven by adverse weather during the critical fruit-set phase - Egyptian orange production rebounds to around 4 million tons in 2025/2026, a gain of roughly 14%. The recovery rests on an expanding footprint: planted area rises to about 180,000 hectares and, more importantly, harvested area climbs from 152,000 to 170,000 hectares (+18,000 ha) as groves planted in recent years reach full bearing, helped by favourable flowering and set conditions.

The additional fruit reaches every outlet, but unevenly. Exports recover toward 2 million tons, consolidating Egypt’s position as the world’s leading fresh-orange supplier, with the European Union, Russia, the Gulf states and fast-growing markets such as India among the main destinations. Fresh domestic consumption eases to about 1.1 million tons, while the volume directed to processing rises sharply to roughly 900,000 tons - the fastest-growing use of the crop and the clearest signal of the sector’s structural transformation.

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Volume allocation and the processing shift Orange 2025/2026

Volume (ton)

Share

Total (ton)

4,000,000

100%

Export

2,000,000

50%

Fresh Consumption

1,100,000

27.5%

Processing

900,000

22.5% Source: USDA FAS, Citrus Annual - Egypt.

The move toward transformation is the defining structural story of the Egyptian campaign.

The share of the orange crop sent to processing has climbed from 15.7% in 2024/2025 to roughly 22-23% in 2025/2026, while the installed extraction base has approximately doubled, to around 200 juice extractors. Capacity that was scarce only a year ago is now abundant, and it is reshaping how fruit is valued and allocated along the chain.

For a country historically oriented toward fresh export, this is a meaningful rebalancing toward a more diversified, value-added supply chain - orange juice concentrate, essential oils and pulps - that is less exposed to the logistics and demand swings of the fresh market.

The expansion of local processing capacity strengthens both sourcing security and Egypt’s weight in the international juice trade.

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Lemon & lime Lemon & Lime

2024/2025

2025/2026

Total (ton)

338,000

400,000 (100%)

Export

91,260

110,000 (27.5%)

246,740

290,000 (72.5%)

Processing & Local Consumption

Source: USDA FAS, Citrus Annual - Egypt

Lemon and lime are the second citrus group of note in Egypt, with total output of about 400,000 tons in 2025/2026. Unlike oranges, the segment is oriented mainly toward the domestic market and industrial use: roughly 290,000 tons - around 72-73% - go to processing and local consumption, against some 110,000 tons (about 27%) destined for export.

The long Egyptian season and warm climate allow supply across much of the year. For processors, this dual availability - a large orange crop alongside a steady lemon-and-lime base - is one of the key attractions of the Egyptian origin, supporting a broad, year-round portfolio of citrus derivates.

24

Field update 2026 season This section describes the 2026 campaign in Egypt through updates from the field.

•

Season start: the 2026 crop opened in December 2025, with processing and fresh exports both beginning mid-December, helping keep prices moderate after a tough 2025 close.

•

Crop size: total yield estimated at 4.5 million tons, including roughly 4 million tons of orange - a 20–25% increase versus 2025.

•

Progress & trade: by July about 95% of the crop had been harvested, with year-to-date fresh orange exports near 1.9 million tons despite softer demand, regional conflict and higher fuel costs.

•

Processing: around 160–175 extractors operating and roughly 900,000 tons of orange processed to date, with fruit prices in the USD 190–200 per ton range. Processing season is almost over.

Read together with the Italian data, the Egyptian season reinforces the logic of a two-origin Mediterranean chain.

A strong Italian year - led by the blood-orange surge coincides with a recovering and rapidly industrialising Egyptian crop, so that the two origins together deliver both the volume and the flexibility that customers increasingly require across fresh and processed citrus. For Agrumaria, operating on both shores is not a duplication but a hedge: complementary origins, harvest calendars and product mixes that stabilise supply and quality throughout the year.

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Forecast for 2026/2027 season: citrus fruit production in Egypt

Production growth is expected to decelerate to roughly +7.5% (4.30 million tons) with continued area expansion, but without repeating the exceptional rebound of 2025/2026, and with weather remaining a swing factor.

Most of the incremental crop is absorbed by processing rather than exports: six new processing factories are coming online in 2026 with a combined capacity of ~2 million tons/year (up to 40% of national output at full utilization). Even a partial ramp-up in their first season would intensify the competition for fruit that already caused the 2024/2025 export slowdown. On this basis, export growth is estimated at a modest +5% (2.10 million tons) versus processing growth of +27.8% (1.15 million tons), with fresh consumption continuing its mild decline.

Orange Production Orange (ton/ha)

2025/2026

2026/2027 Forecast

Planted Area (ha)

180,000

190,000

Harvested Area (ha)

170,000

182,000

4,000,000

4,300,000

Export

2,000,000

2,100,000

Fresh Consumption

1,100,000

1,050,000

Processing

900,000

1,150,000

Production (ton)

Source: Agrumaria Forecast on 2026/2027 season.

26

Lemon & lime Lemon & Lime (ton)

2025/2026

2026/2027 (Forecast)

Total (ton)

400,000

430,000 (+7.5%)

Export

110,000

120,000 (28%)

Processing & Local Consumption

290,000

310,000 (72%) Source: Agrumaria Forecast on 2026/2027 season

Global lemon/lime output is down over 700,000 tons in 2025/26 (EU -12%, Turkey -36%). Egypt is therefore expected to keep benefiting from this supply gap into 2026/27: total lemon and lime production growth is expected to be higher than 7.5% (to 430,000 tons), with the export share slightly rising from 27.5% to 28%, and processing and total consumption covering the majority of the production with a total of 310,000 tons.

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Citrus groves

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The phytosanitary conditions of citrus groves

By Dr. Salvatore Lauria, Agronomist Introduction Tell us about yourself I am Salvatore Lauria, an agronomist. Since 2004, I have worked in the management of agricultural, environmental, and agri-food systems.

The role of the agronomist proves decisive in tackling the climatic, production, and market challenges facing citrus growing, particularly in key regions such as Sicily, Calabria, Apulia, and Basilicata.

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1. What is the current state of citrus farming in Italy?

The global citrus market — worth around €18.6 billion in 2026 — is projected to reach €28.5 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 4.8%.

Underlying this expansive dynamic is a significant rise in global demand, driven above all by growing consumer attention to nutritional and health-related aspects. The high content of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and antioxidant flavonoids makes citrus fruit a key element in diets aimed at strengthening the immune system.

Another key aspect concerns the prebiotic action exerted by natural organic acids, such as citric and malic acid. As a result, we are seeing a marked shift in preferences toward more sustainable consumption models, reflected in steadily rising demand for fruit grown organically and through low-environmental-impact agronomic management. The market is also driven by growth in agro-industrial processing — juices, essential oils, and nutraceutical uses.

Looking at the sector's product breakdown, the supply mix shows a clear dominance of oranges, which alone account for over half of the total volumes traded worldwide. Next, the lemon and lime segment holds a share of more than 20%, while mandarins and related cultivars stand at around 15%; rounding out the main picture are grapefruits, which absorb about 8% of total sales.

30

2. What challenges do farming businesses face today? What changes are underway?

What is the phytosanitary condition of citrus orchards?

Today, citrus businesses operate in an increasingly complex environment: profitability now depends on adapting both field practices and overall strategy to climatic, phytosanitary, and economic pressures.

•

The most pressing issue for anyone managing a citrus operation is undoubtedly the water crisis. Recent years have shown how rainfall deficits and shortcomings in public irrigation networks risk compromising not only fruit size and marketability, but the very survival of citrus orchards. To address this emergency, precision technology and applied research are offering concrete solutions. A successful example is the I.D.R.O. project (Irrigation, Depuration, Recovery, Opportunity), Promoted by the Sicily Citrus Production District, the I.D.R.O. project uses reverse-osmosis desalination to treat brackish well water and reuse stored reservoir water for irrigation.

•

Alongside water, the second major unknown in the field concerns phytosanitary pressure. The constant threat of devastating pathogens such as Citrus Tristeza (CTV) or the threat of Huanglongbing (HLB) requires a thorough rethink of planting choices, pushing growers toward tolerant rootstocks such as Citrumelo, C35, or Forner-Alcaide, at the expense of the traditional sour orange rootstock. At the same time, the proliferation of pests and emerging alien insects calls for increasingly rigorous biological or integrated pest management, based on inundative releases of beneficial insects and the use of biostimulants to strengthen the plant's natural defenses. Attention during the spring and summer months focuses mainly on controlling scale insects, such as Saissetia oleae (black scale) and Planococcus citri (the citrus mealybug). The recommended strategy is to act only once intervention thresholds are reached based on sampling of juvenile forms (nymphs), favoring the use of mineral oil or selective products so as not to harm beneficial insects already present in the field, including natural enemies such as Cryptolaemus montrouzieri.

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32

•

On the economic front, farming businesses must contend with a wide gap between costs and revenues. The sharp rise in input prices — from fuel to the electricity needed for pumping water, as well as fertilizers and labor — heavily squeezes margins whenever farm-gate settlement prices fluctuate. The technical response to this scenario lies in optimizing mineral nutrition: adopting fertigation plans guided by periodic soil and leaf-tissue analysis makes it possible to precisely calibrate nitrogen and potassium inputs, maximizing nutrient-use efficiency and cutting waste.

•

On the cultivation practices front, pruning remains a tool of primary agronomic and phytosanitary importance: properly thinning the inside of the canopy improves air circulation and sun exposure, creating a microclimate unfavorable to the development of scale insects and pathogenic fungi, while also allowing better spray coverage during treatments. Another key pillar concerns water and nutrient management. To block root and crown rot caused by Phytophthora, it is essential to avoid any form of waterlogging and to prevent irrigation water from coming into direct contact with the tree trunk. This is complemented by balanced fertigation that avoids excess nitrogen, which would encourage overly tender growth that is particularly attractive to aphids and leafminers.

Finally, soil management — carried out through shallow tillage or controlled cover cropping — proves decisive in Calabrian growing areas for retaining soil moisture, preserving soil structure, and helping trees better withstand periods of heat and water stress.

3. How do Italian farming businesses approach the issue of sustainability?

Sustainability in the modern citrus business represents a paradigm of innovation and resilience. This means integrating 4.0 technologies and DSS (Decision Support Systems) decision support in agriculture, mainly around the following points: •

Irrigation management: They calculate the soil's water needs using weather data and plant status to avoid waste.

•

Phytosanitary defense: They forecast the arrival of harmful diseases or insects, so treatments are recommended only when truly needed.

•

Fertilization: They help apply the right amount of nutrients based on soil type and crop.

Genetically resistant rootstocks, biological control, and circular valorization of citrus pulp and digestate complete the model — combining agronomic expertise and entrepreneurial vision to safeguard the land and long-term profitability.

Dr. Agronomist Salvatore Lauria

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Stories from the Farms

34

Stories of passion and sustainability This section gives voice to the farms behind the data - enterprises of different sizes, histories and models, united by the shared challenges of a changing climate and a demanding market.

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1. Azienda Agricola Albanese Vincenzo C/so Italia, 35 89029 - Amato di Taurianova (RC)

Description of the Company

A family-run agricultural enterprise cultivating citrus for over 40 years, supplying both the fresh market and local processing industries with Navel and Valencia oranges.

Company History

Family-run for two generations, the farm has built its identity on orange growing.

In 2022 it introduced the Cara Cara - a sweet, seedless red-fleshed variety, hardier than blood orange and highly sought after on the market.

Sustainable actions Production is organic and the farm is working toward further quality marks.

Irrigation water is managed responsibly, meeting the plants' needs without waste.

An agrivoltaic system - built on frames above the trees - will soon provide clean energy together with a shading system for the groves.

Future Projects In spring and summer the farm hosts beehives in partnership with local beekeepers to support pollination, protect bees and diversify production (orange-blossom honey).

The forthcoming agrivoltaic system will supply clean energy, shade the trees in the hottest periods and limit soil-water evaporation.

Citrus Fruits Produced

• Navel Orange • Valencia Orange • Cara Cara Orange

Next Season Production is expected to rise by 25-30% next season. The main threat remains climate change: though kept under control in recent years, heatwaves and off-season frosts that could compromise flowering are a constant concern.

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Total Production

Approximately 225,520 kg

2.Azienda Agricola Folino Gallo Giuseppe Contrada Balzano 88025 - Maida (CZ)

Description of the Company

An agricultural business set in Maida, an area with a long farming tradition. Its main activity is the production of fruit and vegetables, focused on citrus, strawberries and peaches.

Future Projects The farm's main hope is fair economic recognition through a fair market price, without which its sustainability is at risk. In the near term it aims to maintain stable output, and hopes for less bureaucracy and more timely support for the sector.

Company History

The farm's origins date back to 1992, followed by a phase of growth and development under the current management from 2001-2002.

Sustainable actions Although not certified organic, the farm favours organic techniques and products and/or low-impact synthetic inputs.

It continuously updates equipment, agronomic practices, fertilisers and plant-protection products with the aim of reducing environmental impact.

Citrus Fruits Produced

• Clementine • Caffin Clementine • Tardivo di Ciaculli Mandarin • Mandalate • Naveline VCR Orange • Lanelate

Total Production Next Season The season looks promising, with stable production - if anything slightly higher than in recent years.

Approximately 100-120 tons

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3. Azienda Agricola Giordano Domenico Via Modena Boschicello 89133 - Reggio Calabria (RC)

Description of the Company

A newly established agricultural enterprise producing vegetables, citrus and olives.

Company History

A recent operation, still defining its long-term production strategy across citrus and its other crops.

Sustainable actions The farm focuses on water saving through drip irrigation and on the targeted control of plant diseases and pests, using both biological and conventional methods.

Next Season Estimated production of about 35,000 kg, nearly half that of previous years. The option of converting the citrus grove to vegetables remains on the table.

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Future Projects Finding new outlets to boost vegetable sales and, potentially, a better-priced market for its citrus.

Citrus Fruits Produced

• Tarocco Nocellaro Orange • Mandarin • Clementine

Total Production

Approximately 60,000 kg

4. Azienda Agricola Mazzitelli Antonio HQ: Via Argine DX Annunziata, 13 89122 - Reggio Calabria Facility: Via Vincenzo Bellini, 13 89135 - Gallico Reggio Calabria Description of the Company

Present in the Gallico area for more than 150 years, Azienda Agricola Mazzitelli produces citrus - above all bergamot, for which it originally also carried out essential-oil extraction.

Future Projects In the short term, the company aims at consolidating citrus production.

In the medium-to-long term, it aims at recovering abandoned farmland including the reconversion of neglected plots and bringing existing wild/active groves back into production - and developing complementary productive and commercial activities.

Company History

In the late 1980s, part of the bergamot groves were replaced with Marzolo mandarins. In 2025 the farm began its transition to organic production, and in 2026 Roberto Mazzitelli - the owner's son joined the team, reinforcing its family character and generational continuity.

Sustainable actions In 2025 the farm started the organic-certification process with QCertificazioni Srl. It complies with sustainability criteria covering environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality, social responsibility and the sustainable development of the territory.

Citrus Fruits Produced

• Fantastico Bergamot • Marzolo Mandarin

Total Production

Approximately 29.5 tons

Next Season High summer temperatures remain the main threat to citrus and bergamot alike.

Irrigation helps, but risk-mitigation investments (sprinkler systems) are hard to amortise given rising energy costs and labour shortages. Rising demand for exotic fruit also opens room to diversify, alongside recovery of abandoned land.

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