The citrus market - Italy (2023)

1.1 Definition and presentation

A citrus tree can be defined as any of the various evergreen, usually thorny shrubs or trees in the genus Citrus and other genera in the family Rutaceae, such as grapefruit, lemon, and orange. They are native to South and Southeast Asia and widely cultivated for their juicy edible fruits with a leathery aromatic rind. This study will focus on the fruits of these trees and both their production and marketing.

Citrus fruits are one of the most important fruit and vegetable categories, both in terms of production volume and trade. Over the past three decades, world citrus production has continued to increase steadily and has now reached more than 130 million tons, a growth of about 125 %.

Citrus consumption in Italy is, for various reasons, a phenomenon of particular importance and complexity because it is anchored in deep and distant traditions in the southern part of the country. In fact, in Italy, the trade of oranges and other citrus fruits (tangerines, lemons, grapefruits) accounts for 15-17% of total sales in the super and hypermarket channels.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences on the market created the most important trends in consumer behavior for these specific products recorded in Italy in 2020, mostly. These trends summary should be threefold. First, purchases are less frequent, but the average receipt increased. Then there was a decisive increase in market share by local stores, e-commerce, and discounters, at the expense of hypermarkets and local markets. Eventually, the preference for seasonal products further increased, especially the products of Italian origin, possibly organic, and the focus was more pronounced on recyclable green packaging.