Juice processors cutting back on imports

The Australian Beverages Council has told a Senate inquiry into the citrus industry, orange juice concentrate imported from Brazil has halved in the last three years.

Citrus growers at yesterday's hearing in Griffith in southern NSW argued if legislation forced processors to declare how much local juice was in the bottle, the industry would be in better shape.

But the Council's CEO Geoff Parker says it's not that simple.

"One of the problems we have in Australia is that there isn't enough valencia crop being produced," he said.

"Unfortunately, navel oranges can't be used in juice, or rather only a small amount, possibly up to a 5 or 10 per cent blend of navel juice can be used in juice because the navel oranges are too bitter."

He says the decline in juice concentrate from Brazil is partly due to an increase in price and a drop in orange juice consumption in Australia.

The Senate inquiry went to Mildura today.

Audio: Citrus growers want minimum local juice content laws (ABC Rural)

Source: ABC Rural News, 4 July 2013