Citrus season looks sweet

"The forecast is looking bright and if all goes to plan, it will be a good season," said Frank Mercuri, chairman of Pacific Fresh, a Leeton citrus packing company.

Mr Mercuri expects his crop of navels to deliver an average yield, with good quality and showing few blemishes, unlike the previous season, when high winds in autumn downgraded quality.

The return to form is a welcome intervention for Pacific Fresh, which is comprised of eight grower-shareholders.

"While the last couple of seasons haven't been the worst, the two before that were disasters.

"Also, we've now got the currency in our favour.

"If you were selling boxes (of navel oranges) to the United States for $25, you are now looking at $30 and that is quite a lot more."

The Australian dollar now sits at about US 76 cents and optimism is in the air.

"Many growers are very excited about this season," said Citrus Australia chief executive Judith Damiani.

"With the dollar being down and strong demand from export markets, there is even a question about if we have enough to supply market demand."

Ms Damiani said growers are very excited by the export potential of this season's "great quality navels".

Yields are shaping to be around average, the fruit is medium-sized and because of good growing conditions the quality will be good, which should sell well into the large Chinese market.

Navel oranges make up about 80 per cent of Australia's 120,000 tonnes of citrus exports, with mandarins making up the rest.

Australian navel exports have gone from zero to 11,000t a year since 2010 and last season were valued at $20 million.

Like many navel exporters, Pacific Fresh typically splits its crop roughly down the middle between domestic and export markets, but returns will not be calculated until the product is shipped.

However, the sunny outlook has given growers confidence and investment is flowing.

Pacific Fresh growers are ramping up operations to capitalise on the burgeoning market opportunities.

"Over the past five years we have developed 300 hectares of orchard and in the next three we'll probably establish another 350ha," Mr Mercuri said.

In that time he will plant another 40,000 trees.

Western Murray citrus grower Justin Kassulke, Cross Farms, Curlwaa, near Wentworth, said despite a setback from hail damage, which claimed 40 per cent of his crop, "(eating) quality and size are looking good, and the fruit is looking good (and free of blemishes)".

In November last year, hailstorms wiped out some western NSW crops around Gol Gol along the Murray River

Cross Farm produces ruby grapefruit, Sumo mandarin, seedless lemons, blood oranges and a pink flesh navel.

Mr Kassulke said the high Australian dollar delivered "some seriously poor returns" to growers - coupled with cheap exports from South Africa that tightened the burgeoning Chinese market.

"Now, there is definitely a lot of optimism," he said.

"The number of trees on order at the local nursery is always a good indication of how positive growers are in the district - and there is a two-year waiting list."

Pacific Fresh imported budwood of an orange-mandarin hybrid from Japan and the Sumo mandarin, in 2001 - there are now 120,000 trees planted Australia-wide.

Mr Mercuri is hoping to repeat the success with an extra-sweet orange variety.

"It's a brown skin navel, we have just started planting it, and we've got 12,000 trees in."

Mr Mercuri said a Pacific Fresh grower found a brown fruiting tree among a navel orchard and the variety was developed for cultivation.

"It's an early season variety ready for harvest in early June and it should sell well, when the other fruit isn't so sweet.

"It's not just an orange, it is so much sweeter."