Why are the Oranges, usually so good, so bad in Portugal this year.
In previous years I look forward to the juicy, Algarve oranges from November on.
This year I have only eaten maybe 5, all bought from different supermarkets as well as roadside stalls, and every one has been a complete disappointment .
Some with pips (never seen over course of 20 years in the Algarve), and every one, dry and tasteless.
In Continente they are selling South African oranges, what`s going on ??
Just thrown 2 more away for being dry and tasteless,

Lack of rain would be my guess.
I have some trees of my own that are doing fine, because I'm able to irrigate them.

Is that why the orange juice price has gone through the ceiling!!!
Still see piles of them sitting on the ground unused around here.

I don't understand your problem. Our local orange delivery man has sold us wonderful oranges for juicing all year. That crop finished a few weeks' ago but the new crop are nearly ready for picking..

It will depend on whether an orchard has irrigation water.
Those that don't are likely to try and sell their fruit through roadside stalls, as the wholesale buyers will reject it.

We also have oranges all over the ground. Can't give citrus away here, literally can't.

Around here, orchards without irrigation are usually abandoned as failures.

In central Portugal, I seem to have more oranges than usual and they are riper earlier, usually they don't ripen much before Feb/Mar, this year they are ready already. However, I have fewer clementines, probably half my usual crop and few tangerines but they tend to miss a year. This year cherries were poor, grapes, apples and pears non-existent, few olives but good oil yield, the almonds all got eaten by a pest, peaches were OK. Passion fruit were stellar.

Yes, but you are talking bout cheapo juicing oranges, very different to eating oranges.
So why are they buying junk from South Africa

So how do you ID a good orange to eat?

Going slightly off topic, I find choosing a good melon (of any kind) and papaya incredibly hard to do, but yet restaurants seen to do quite easily most times.

It's mainly experience; I have a dozen trees, so I pull oranges, cut them open, and taste them. After a while, I can just see which ones are likely to be good; not 100%, but likely.
I mostly eat the tangerines, oranges are good for juice but I can rarely be bothered.

Long ago, I had papaya trees, and I can spot a good papaya from the outside; they're quite easy actually, it's the pattern, texture, and color.
Some people are growing them here now, I might give them a try. they grow really fast, fruit is possible after 2 years if nothing eats them first.

Melons... I have not cracked the trick of cracking melons.