The 2023/2024 campaign is proving challenging for Spanish lemons, with prices at the edge of profitability.
"This year, there has seen a trend change in the production available in Spain, with an increase of around 35% in the supply compared to the previous campaign. We hadn't seen a harvest like this for at least 5 years," says Enrique Fuentes, commercial director of the Murcian company Hijos de Alberto del Cerro.
In fact, according to the forecast published by Ailimpo at the start of the campaign, this season's production in Spain is expected to reach 1,365,000 tons and exceed even the 1,300,000 tons of the 2018/2019 season.
"The production isn't high only in Spain. Other countries that compete with us, like Turkey, also have large volumes this campaign after several years of low harvests, and Italy, Greece and Egypt also have a great supply. For this reason, although the demand for lemons is at the usual level, the large supply in the markets is pushing prices down," says Enrique Fuentes.
Besides, due to the unusual heat recorded since last spring, slightly smaller calibers predominate, and the processing industry "is not absorbing much or offering acceptable prices," says the commercial manager of the Murcian entity, which produces and markets around 22,000 tons of lemon annually, which it mainly exports to France and Germany, as well as to Scandinavian and Eastern countries.
"Prices are at the edge of profitability for producers and, although the campaign started with high prices for large caliber lemons, as the supply has grown, prices have also dropped," says Enrique Fuentes.
According to the exporter, in recent years there has been a varietal restructuring in lemon plantations, with a higher concentration of sub-varieties or early Primofiori type clones, which is contributing to a more saturated supply at the beginning of the campaign. "We also expect a plentiful harvest of Verna lemons next spring-summer," he says.
For more information:
Enrique Fuentes
Hijos de Alberto del Cerro
C/ Mayor, 372.
30139 El Raal, Murcia. Spain
T: +34 968600162
M: +34 696982440
[email protected]
www.albertodelcerro.com