Texas Citrus Shipments Trail Last Season's Pace
Rio Grande Valley fresh citrus shipments reached 80,445 cartons as of October 24, well below the prior year's volume.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Current Conditions
Live Poll
Do you expect grocery prices for citrus to rise this winter?
Rio Grande Valley growers had shipped 80,445 40-pound cartons of fresh citrus as of October 24, compared with 219,613 cartons over the same period last year. The figures exclude fruit destined for juice processing.
Why it matters
Fresh shipments are running behind last season after drought and high summer temperatures restricted fruit sizing. The gap matters to growers and buyers as the Texas harvest for 2026-2027 gets underway.
The figures are a shipment count in 40-pound cartons versus 219,613 cartons over the same period last year, and they exclude juice-destined fruit. Crop loads are higher than last season, but how much of that will translate into fresh-market volume remains unclear.
The details
Virtually no rainfall fell during June, July, and August, and temperatures exceeded 100 degrees for consecutive days in summer. Growers have begun harvesting grapefruit, early oranges, and navel oranges, while melanose, a disease affecting orchards with dead wood left by Winter Storm Uri in 2021, causes blemishes that keep affected fruit out of fresh sales.
Timeline
June, July, and August 2026: Virtually no rainfall and temperatures above 100 degrees.
October 24, 2026: Shipment count of 80,445 cartons recorded.
October through May: Typical citrus harvest period.
Seasonal Patterns
The shipment shortfall follows the lingering orchard damage from Winter Storm Uri in 2021, which left dead wood that now supports melanose. Florida's citrus greening has reduced that state's supply, creating a market opening for Texas oranges even as local fresh volumes trail last year.
Buyers seeking fresh Texas citrus should expect tighter fresh-market supply than last season while harvest is underway. Growers in affected orchards should watch for melanose symptoms on fruit that may still be routed to juice processing.
The takeaway
Fresh citrus supply in Texas will depend on how the 2026-2027 harvest handles lingering melanose and heavier crop loads. Monitoring shipment counts through the season will show whether the early shortfall closes.
Further reading
For ongoing harvest and growing-season updates, see Current Conditions in Texas.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Freshplaza.
Live Poll
Do you expect grocery prices for citrus to rise this winter?
