After a mild winter and a hot, dry summer, with temperatures still above average, the Consortium of Lemon Growers of Rocca Imperiale, an area known for its PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), is facing a very fragmented commercial calendar.
Some members of the cooperative
"While on the one hand the young 4-6 year old plantations are showing quite large fruits, which will allow us to open the 2024/25 lemon campaign around mid-December, on the other hand we are facing smaller sizes compared to the period with the more ripe crops. For these fruits, in order to reach an acceptable size for the market, we are planning to start on 15 January 2025 at the earliest, but this will depend above all on the frequency of the rains," says the president of the cooperative, Pietro Buongiorno, founder of the Limoré brand, which is becoming increasingly popular on the Italian and European markets.
Harvest in the lemon groves of Rocca Imperiale
The critical climatic conditions have affected production to such an extent that the association has been forced to develop new ways of packaging the smaller fruits. "The new packaging is biodegradable cardboard, rather than the traditional netting, and is designed to add value to the product. We will also be running a communication campaign on social networks and at points of sale to make consumers aware of the slight reduction in size, which is not at the expense of quality. After the great success of the 4-fruit box, we are also receiving interesting requests from retailers for the 2-fruit format, which is currently being planned."
The company has gained market share over the past two years and customer loyalty is at an all-time high. It is therefore optimistic and in a good position. "The customer portfolio will continue to grow over the next few years. We are not only present in the various large Italian retail chains, but also in Europe, in Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Romania and Poland. We also work with customers outside the EU, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and, above all, Japan. Indeed, after tasting the lemons last season, buyers in Japan were enthusiastic about an increase in supply. For the next lemon growing season, yields are expected to grow by 20-25%, thanks in part to new plantings that will bring an additional 40 hectares of the brand into production."
For more information:
Consorzio Produttori di Limoni Associati
Headquarters, Contrada Mantice snc
87074 Rocca Imperiale (CS) - Italy
Tel.: +39 349 4694903
[email protected]
www.limore.it