In MY 2022/23, Korea’s total citrus planted area is projected to decrease slightly to 19,930 hectares (ha). Korea’s open field planting area (73 percent of total planted area) continues to shrink due to an aging farm population and increased property development around citrus farms. However, planted area for late-maturing tangerine varieties, produced mostly in greenhouses, is expected to increase steadily in the coming years as these trees generate two to three times more income compared to regular open field production.
Greenhouse tangerines
Korea’s greenhouse tangerine production for the 2023 summer season (May – September) is projected to increase by 3.7 percent to 28,000 MT due to steady demand during the off-peak season of regular open field Unshu mandarins. Planted area is projected to increase by 4.6 percent to 390 ha in MY 2022/23 due to the cropping pattern changes previously discussed.
Tangerines for processing
In MY 2022/23, the Jeju citrus industry projects around 70,000 MT of fresh tangerines will be used for processing, mostly for tangerine concentrate production. This is up about 5.6 percent (3,720 MT) from the previous year due to the increased volume of non-marketable (smaller size) tangerines. Korea exported 1,226 MT of tangerine concentrate in MY 2021/22, about 44 percent higher than the previous year on recovering demand in Japan. However, industry sources note that overall demand for tangerine concentrate is gradually declining in both Korea and Japan, with few prospects for improvement.
