As 2024 is coming to a close, in the lemon category, the Southern Hemisphere has long finished its season in September-October. "This year was marked by lower global production levels," says Alejandro Moralejo, CEO of Salix Fruits. "Both South Africa and Argentina faced challenges in production, particularly impacting exports. However, there were some exceptions where production volumes recovered, such as Chile."
As he notes, the season saw both an oversupply and shortages at different points–spring and fall in Europe for example experienced shortages while the U.S. market saw scarcity during the spring but then went on to see an oversupply in summer and autumn. "These fluctuations caused significant variability in pricing, which was heavily dependent on availability," adds Moralejo, noting that right now, lemon supply in the U.S. is largely coming from California.
Of course, the weather played a critical role in lemon production this year, and often created challenges. Mexico experienced severe droughts, leading to extremely low and delayed production. In contrast, Chile and Argentina suffered from excessive rainfall during their autumn season (Southern Hemisphere), while South Africa and Argentina also dealt with frost.
2025 crops
Looking ahead to the upcoming winter in the Southern Hemisphere, there are concerns about the Verna lemon crop in Spain, which is projected to decrease for the next summer season. "Turkey has faced some challenges with Meyer lemons, but the Interdonato and Lamas varieties perform well," says Moralejo.
That said, it's too early to make predictions about the 2025 Southern Hemisphere season. "However, current trends suggest lower production in Argentina and Chile, with stable levels expected in South Africa," says Moralejo.
He also adds that there is good news in that the strengthened market for processed lemon products, such as concentrate juice, dehydrated peel, and essential oil, will provide opportunities for many tons of lemons. "This will help balance the fresh fruit supply by directing excess production toward industrial processing."
For more information:
Salix Fruits
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www.salixfruits.com