Orange juice could soon become scarce in Germany. The reason for this is poor harvests, hurricanes and a plant disease. Customers will soon have to dig deeper into their pockets.
Fruit juices are extremely popular in Germany. Especially the orange juice has done it to the German citizens. In 2021 alone, per capita consumption was seven liters. What many consumers may not be aware of, however, is that around 90 percent of orange juice comes from Brazil. However, this is currently leading to major problems, because the citrus fruit is becoming scarce due to various causes - with dire consequences for juice lovers!
Orange juice price shock: Why the popular drink will soon be scarce and more expensive
As Klaus Heitlinger, Managing Director of the Association of the German Fruit Juice Industry (VdF), explains to the German Press Agency (dpa), the juice industry is currently suffering from poor harvests in numerous regions and declining stocks of orange juice concentrate in Brazil, the most important supplier country. Hurricanes and a plant disease rampant in Florida also play a role in the shortage. As RUHR24 reports, the lack of gum arabic is causing major problems with Pepsi and Cola.
"Goods are scarce and the cost of raw materials is rising. This means that consumers must also be prepared for the fact that orange juice will become more expensive," emphasizes Heitlinger. Other experts also share this fear, reports HEIDELBERG24. For example, the head of the Mönchengladbach-based juice manufacturer Valensina, Tino Mocken, told Lebensmittelzeitung that prices for orange juice concentrate are currently at record levels. The markets are even completely empty!
Hurricanes, disease and poor harvests: orange juice is becoming scarce and more expensive
Although juice producer Valensina's own ability to deliver is secured for 2023, bottlenecks and supply failures could occur on the overall market in the summer. The company's orange juice is sold in Germany in numerous supermarkets and discounters such as Aldi, Lidl and Rewe. But be careful! In the end, some fruit juices turn out to be deceptive packaging.
Unfortunately, the shortage of orange juice could continue in the future. "We are increasingly dealing with weather extremes – such as the drought in Italy and Spain. This will continue to worsen," predicts Boris Voelkel, Head of Purchasing at organic juice specialist Voelkel. According to the latest market report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, global orange production in the 2022/23 marketing year is expected to be 5 percent below the previous year's level.
Orange juice shortage: Global production is falling
Especially in the USA – where the plant disease Citrus Greening and hurricanes are damaging crops in Florida – the production of orange juice is likely to be at its lowest level in more than 56 years, according to experts! According to estimates by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, global orange juice production is likely to fall by as much as 7 percent. Just last year, Öko-Test tested orange juice, with popular brands performing poorly.
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So bad news for all fans of the juice drink. But at least there is good news. Since the fresh oranges come from the Mediterranean region and South Africa, there is no shortage here. "The supply is not particularly plentiful because of the drought in Spain, but it is not really scarce," says AMI expert Gabriele Held. However, the prices will still be a bit more expensive than in the previous year. (i.e. with dpa)
