Mexico 2025/26 citrus: Heavy rains slash orange yields as lemons and limes drive growth

Heavy rains flooded Mexico’s orange groves in October, leading to a projected three percent decline in orange yields for the 2025/26 season and a 0.4 percent decrease in overall citrus projections, reports the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Back in late 2025, Tropical Storm Raymond and Hurricane Priscilla caused significant damage nationwide and struck Veracruz, Mexico’s leading orange-producing region, particularly hard.

Prolonged, erratic rainfalls destroyed several groves and delayed the October harvest until  November and December 2025, leading to the loss of significant amounts of ripe fruit and inconsistent quality.

This year’s orange harvest is projected to fall short of last season's, landing at just 5.18 million short tons.

This season’s numbers dip even further below last year’s, which had already dropped by more than 2.1 percent. The culprit, once again, is rain, the report states.

The orange planted area, on the other hand, will increase by 0.97 percent despite challenges posed by erratic weather, citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing), and other pests that are reducing yields in Veracruz and other orange-producing states.

Citrus projection: Lemons and limes are carrying the weight

While total production of fresh oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit in Mexico may decrease, average consumption is up by four percent. Likewise, exports are projected to rise by six percent, according to the USDA.

Lemons and limes are stealing the spotlight, driving the surge in both domestic consumption and international exports.

The total planted area for citrus fruits, including oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit, reached over 1.49 million acres, a 1.2 percent increase from last year.

Oranges account for 58 percent of all citrus plantings, lemons for 38 percent, and grapefruit for 3.6 percent.

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