The lemon market is currently turning yellow, golden yellow, that is. Prices actually oscillate between 34 and 37 Euro for 18 kilos. Importer Gert-Jan van den Heuvel, of Verdi Import, is concerned. "I'm afraid that the expectations are too high and that market prices are going up too quickly. If you start a little lower, you can still grow. Now, however, prices are at a very high level and it all has to be paid."
"Spanish lemon growers have made good money. Lemon prices have been at a record high, with cheap transport costs, so the growers have had a tremendously good year. Furthermore, they have formed a very strong anti-blackspot lobby, which has resulted in limited exports from South Africa," continues Gert-Jan. "The Spanish season is now coming to an end and Spanish lemons are expected to remain in the retail market until week 25, when they will be replaced by Argentinian and South African lemons."
"In addition to South Africa and Argentina, there are also some Bolivian lemons on the market, but there is no more supply than that. Argentina has a larger harvest than last year and is currently working with the loading of shipments. Earlier this week, Argentina had loaded a total of 56,311 pallets, over 45% more than the 38,626 pallets shipped by the same time last year. There is consequently a huge supply on the way," concludes the importer.
"It's a bit like musical chairs, as 15,229 pallets of mandarins have been shipped, compared with 21,571 pallets in the same period last year (over 41% less)," Gert-Jan continues. "The advantage of lemons is that there are no real substitutes for them, so supermarkets keep them on their shelves, regardless of the price level. If peaches are expensive, you can always buy nectarines instead.
