A reduction in EU imports from Turkey, Argentina and South Africa meant strong demand for Spanish fruit
A bumper harvest, coupled with lower volumes arriving from Southern Hemisphere suppliers and Turkey, helped push Spanish lemon exports to a new record this season. According to the latest figures from lemon and grapefruit interprofessional Ailimpo, shipments increased by 7% to 560,000 tonnes during the 2013/14 campaign.
With Argentine production down by 50%, and South African shipments hit by stricter phytosanitary controls in the wake of the citrus black spot outbreak, demand across all European markets was buoyant. As a result of the strong prices, Ailimpo said it had been a profitable year for growers.
Shipments to the UK, France and Italy registered double-digit growth, rising by 25%, 16% and 13% respectively. In total, the European Union absorbs around 90% of Spain’s export total. Ailimpo said sendings to non-EU markets had also risen sharply, notably in Canada and Brazil.
A decision by Turkey to target a greater share of its export volume to eastern markets such as Russia and Ukraine also boosted demand for Spanish lemons this year.
Lemon production reached 970,000 tonnes this season, an 18% increase on last year’s total. Fino accounted for 72% of this total and Verna for the remaining 28%.
Ailimpo said investments in improved farming techniques had resulted in higher yields and better quality this season.