The Citrus Industry of Palestine

Report Introduction: The rapid development in recent years of Palestine citrus production and exports has attracted attention in other citrus-producing countries, especially in countries exporting winter oranges. In these, great concern is felt over the increasing competition of Jaffa fruit on the principal European markets. From 1930-31 to 1937-8, citrus exports from Palestine registered a 360-percent gain, while those from other countries remained unchanged or increased only slightly. Moreover, less than one-half of the present acreage in Palestine is of full bearing age, and it is estimated that in 1942-43 the quantity of citrus fruit available for export will he twice as large as that exported in 1937-38. Although Palestine ranks fifth as a world citrus producer, it is the world's second largest exporter of citrus fruit, coming after Spain, and its shipments exceed by far those of the United States. At present, Palestine citrus fruit does not compete directly with the American product on the markets of Europe, as the latter reaches those markets at about the time the Jaffa season is ended. When the Valencia oranges recently grafted on grapefruit trees in Palestine come into bearing, however, they may constitute a competitive factor for the early arrivals of California oranges in Europe. The citrus industry holds a unique position in the economic structure of Palestine, especially when compared with that of other citrus-producing countries. During the 3-year period 1935-1937, the value of citrus exports from Palestine represented, on an average, about 79 percent of the combined value of all agricultural and industrial exports. This excessive dependence of the country's economy on citrus production was taken for granted, and the danger of binding its destiny to the ups and downs of a single crop was minimized as long as returns from the sale of citrus fruit were high. Low prices resulting from heavy supplies and lack of markets in recent years, however, have put the industry in a critical state. This study, which is partly based, on a field investigation conducted in Palestine in January 1938, describes the citrus industry there and points out the various factors that might affect its future development.