Citrus season 2025/26 in southern Europe: What growers should expect now

Harvest outlook, market trends, and grower strategies for Spain, Italy, and Greece

The 2025/26 citrus campaign has started under challenging conditions across southern Europe. Spain, Italy, and Greece, Europe's top three citrus producers, face yield reductions linked to extreme weather, pest pressures, and shifting market dynamics. Yet, the European citrus sector continues to demonstrate resilience and adaptability, supported by improved market transparency, evolving production practices, and opportunities in sustainability-driven exports.

A reduced EU harvest led by Spain's sharp decline

According to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), the 2025/26 national citrus crop is forecast at 5.44 million tonnes, representing an 11% decrease from last season and 14% below the five-year average, making it the smallest harvest in 16 years. The decline reflects the compounding effects of excessive spring rains, high summer temperatures during fruit set, and hailstorms in major citrus-growing regions such as Valencia, Murcia, and Andalusia.

Breaking down production:

Oranges: 2.72 million tonnes (-11.6% YoY)
Small citrus (mandarins, clementines, satsumas): 1.73 million tonnes (-8.2%)
Lemons: 866,000 tonnes (-14.7%)
Grapefruit: 108,000 tonnes (+8%), marking a record third consecutive increase.

Despite the reduced harvest, Spain remains the EU's largest citrus producer and the world's leading exporter of fresh citrus fruits, with average annual exports exceeding 3.5 million tonnes valued at around €3.6 billion.

How are citrus harvests going in Spain so far?

Spain's 2025/26 citrus season started as early as late August with the harvest of early Satsuma mandarins, which are currently undergoing degreening and entering European markets. By early September, the first Clementine varieties, including premium Marisol and Oronules, began harvest. The much-anticipated Clemenules, a key variety for Spain's mid-season exports, is expected to start in early November.

As for the oranges, the Navelina variety, which defines the Spanish winter citrus season, is also scheduled to begin harvest in early November.

Italy and Greece: Smaller declines but contrasting dynamics

While no official national forecast equivalent to Spain's aforo has been published yet for Italy or Greece, European Commission data (DG AGRI Dashboard, September 2025) suggests that both countries are experiencing moderate production drops compared to 2024/25.

Italy continues to face irregular rainfall and warmer winters, which impact fruit size and colouration. Nevertheless, prices remain high: the average lemon price in August 2025 reached €143/100 kg, up 15% compared to August 2024. Sicilian lemons and Tarocco oranges continue to perform strongly in domestic and premium export markets.
With a smaller but rapidly evolving citrus sector, Greece has seen stronger orange prices, averaging €80/100 kg in August 2025, 46% higher than in 2024 and 25% above the five-year average. However, the country still suffers from erratic yields, largely due to uneven irrigation infrastructure and early heatwaves.

Overall, DG AGRI estimates indicate that EU citrus output (excluding grapefruit) in 2025/26 could fall by 9–11% year-on-year, driven mainly by Spain's contraction.

What's being harvested so far?

In Italy, the 2025/26 citrus season is also progressing. Calabria began harvesting Satsumas in mid-September, while early clementines entered the domestic market in early October. The harvest of common Clementines and Navel oranges will ramp up from November onwards, followed by the country’s signature Navelina oranges in early November.

In Greece, the new season begins with early clementine and orange harvests starting in the Peloponnese and Epirus. However, yields vary by region due to rainfall irregularities and uneven irrigation access.

Market situation: Imports rising, price volatility increasing

The lower domestic supply coincides with increased imports from third countries, particularly Egypt, South Africa, and Morocco. Between October 2024 and August 2025, the EU imported:

766,000 tonnes of oranges (mainly from Egypt and South Africa)
469,000 tonnes of small citrus fruits
403,000 tonnes of lemons

Imports of Egyptian oranges have remained significant, while South Africa's orange shipments rose 5% year-on-year. Morocco's exports of small citrus to the EU also surged by more than 60% compared with the five-year average, benefiting from favorable trade conditions and competitive pricing.

The consequence is clear:

EU market prices are becoming increasingly volatile, influenced by both the shorter domestic harvest and the seasonal entry of cheaper non-EU fruit. While Spanish and Italian citrus still command premiums for freshness and sustainability certification, competition pressures margins, especially in the mid-range retail segment.

Lemon market: Italy leads in prices, Spain leads in volume

The European lemon market shows diverging national trends. Spain remains the top EU producer and exporter, but faced a steep production decline in 2025. Meanwhile, Italy's lemon prices remain the highest in Europe, averaging €143/100 kg in August 2025, compared with €84/100 kg in Spain. This price gap reflects Italy's focus on PDO and PGI-labelled lemons (e.g., Sorrento, Amalfi, and Siracusa), grown under stricter quality standards and lower yields per hectare.

In contrast, Spanish lemon producers, particularly in Murcia and Alicante, are facing cost inflation and export competition from Turkey and Egypt. Although Spain's "Fino" lemon still dominates EU supply, the 14.7% production drop in 2025 reduces exportable volumes.

Mandarins and clementines: Late varieties gain value

Among small citrus fruits, late-season clementines and hybrid mandarins (such as Nadorcott and Tango) are becoming increasingly valuable due to their longer shelf life and adaptability to climate extremes. DG AGRI data show that EU small citrus prices in spring 2025 averaged €120/100 kg, significantly above the five-year mean, supporting profitability despite lower yields.

However, climatic instability during flowering and fruit set continues to challenge uniform ripening. Growers are responding by adopting pruning strategies that enhance canopy aeration and light distribution, using anti-hail nets, and investing in soil moisture monitoring systems to optimize irrigation efficiency.

Key agronomic challenges

The 2025/26 campaign confirms that climate volatility is now the defining challenge for EU citrus growers. Spring rainfall and summer heatwaves are becoming more extreme, causing fruit drop, size variability, and sunburn damage.

In addition, the risk of pest and disease introduction remains high. Spain's Ministry of Agriculture warns of the increasing threat from exotic citrus pests, including Citrus black spot (Phyllosticta citricarpa) and Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri), which could spread via imports from tropical regions.

Practical steps for citrus harvest and post-harvest management

As the 2025/26 season unfolds, success will depend on how much fruit is produced and how carefully it is harvested, handled, and brought to market. With smaller crops and firm prices, growers have every reason to protect quality at every stage.

The process starts with an objective maturity assessment rather than relying only on colour. Many early Satsumas and Clementines still show green patches, even when they are internally ripe. Each week, growers should sample representative blocks and test both sweetness (°Brix) and acidity (TA) using a pocket refractometer and a simple titration kit. Collect a composite of around 20–30 fruit per block to track trends accurately.

Typical maturity targets are:

Sweet oranges (e.g., Navelina, Lane Late): 11–12 °Brix, 0.8–1.2 % acid
Clementines: 10.5–11 °Brix, 0.7–1.0 % acid
Lemons: 8–9 °Brix, 5–7 % acid, with healthy peel oils

Rather than focusing only on absolute values, monitor the TSS/TA ratio or BrimA index, which better reflects eating quality. Once the desired balance is reached, plan to harvest the block within about 10–14 days to preserve firmness and skin strength.

Before harvest, check that colour and texture are uniform. Fruit should be fully coloured (naturally or after degreening), firm but not hard, and detach with moderate pull. Over-ripe fruit is softer, lighter, and prone to puffing or rind breakdown. Keeping detailed field notes of colour progression, °Brix and acid values helps identify the proper picking moment each year.

When harvest begins, handle fruit as gently as possible:

Clip stems instead of pulling to prevent skin tearing.
Use soft-lined bins and avoid overfilling crates to prevent damage.
Keep containers shaded and avoid harvesting when fruit is wet.
Schedule picking for the cooler morning or late afternoon, and cool fruit to 8–10 °C within 24 hours to maintain freshness.

At the packing stage, careful grading and storage are key. Remove any damaged or sunburned fruit early, and keep batches by variety and maturity. Increasingly, packers are switching to biocontrol waxes or mild antifungal dips, such as sodium bicarbonate or chitosan, instead of conventional fungicides, thereby meeting both market and sustainability standards. Maintain:

Relative humidity: 85–90 %
Storage temperature: 5–8 °C for oranges and mandarins; 10–12 °C for lemons

Mixed storage of different varieties should be avoided because ethylene released by early fruit can hasten ageing in later batches.

After harvest, maintaining orchard health is just as important. Remove fallen or decayed fruit to limit fruit-fly populations and fungal spread. A light irrigation immediately after harvest helps trees recover, while applying compost or well-decomposed manure improves soil structure and nutrient availability. Light pruning to remove dead or shaded wood enhances aeration and light penetration for next spring’s flush.

Conclusion: Resilience through innovation

The 2025/26 citrus season across Spain, Italy, and Greece is marked by lower yields but higher market opportunities for quality fruit. While Spain faces its smallest crop in over a decade, both Italy and Greece benefit from strong domestic prices and renewed consumer interest in European-grown citrus.

Adaptation through technology, soil health, and pest vigilance is essential to navigate this new era of climatic uncertainty. The future competitiveness of the EU citrus sector will depend on recovering yields and aligning with sustainability goals and consumer expectations for traceable, eco-friendly production.

As European growers prepare for the upcoming winter harvest, cooperation, innovation, and resource efficiency are the three pillars that will define the next decade of Mediterranean citriculture.