Imports of lemons into the US from Argentina began its second season a few weeks ago after returning to the market last year. Early volumes are trickling in as production steadily increases in the growing regions. Overall, importers have described the growing conditions as normal, with sufficient rain and a good balance of sunshine. Despite the good weather conditions however, lemon production in Argentina is expected to be down on last year.
"The new season started a few weeks ago," said Mariano Sangronis of Citromax. "March is typically a rainy month, so volumes harvested were not considerable. We were very well prepared for this however and are happy to have achieved our forecast for the month. Usually the Argentine season runs up to August so there is still a long time to go. We had good rains from the beginning of the production season but we do expect Argentina to decrease its lemon production by 12 percent. We had peak production during 2018 and there is an expectation for reduced volume for the upcoming season."
Imports into US expected to increase
Although overall lemon production is set to be lower than last year, Argentina is expected to export more fruit to the US this year. Last year marked the first year back into the market after a long hiatus. Volume was subdued and suppliers say this was a function of returning to the US and having to build the market again. Sangronis noted though that the response last year was excellent and that Citromax will be increasing lemon volumes this season.
"2018 was the first year Argentina came back to the market after an 18-year ban," he said. "There was an incredible amount of work put in to promote our lemons. Importers, retailers, wholesalers and US consumers were impressed by the quality of the Argentine lemon. It has a unique flavor profile, its aroma and juice are appreciated worldwide and the product is in high demand. We were able to fulfill US customers’ expectations. We expect volumes to continue to grow and we are proud to keep our most valuable commitment, producing high quality fresh lemons."
Complements California season
Some are concerned about a conflict with the California season, but Sangronis mentioned that the Argentine season complements existing supplies and provides an opportunity for the US market to have fresh lemons when supplies are tighter. "Argentina production complements the US summer gap and our marketing window does not compete with California production. Argentine lemons give consumers a fresh crop during the transitional time between the northern and southern hemisphere production seasons. We expect the market to be softer this year because California has recovered their production from last year."
Organics and technology key growth points for Citromax
Being the third-largest lemon processor in the world, technology is a key focus for Citromax. Already, the company is a major producer of processed lemon products, but they also look to technology when it comes to fresh lemon production.
"We continue to invest in high technology," Sangronis shared. "This is a key factor for Citromax to support our customers and offer high premium products. As a result, we will keep working with the latest sorting technology and expect to pack a high quality fresh fruit."
Another one of the goals for this year is to increase organic availability. Sangronis said that Citromax is now working to add fresh organic lemons to its lineup. "The organic category is continues to grow," he observed. "Citromax is a worldwide leader in organic lemon growing and processing. We are now working with Argentine SENASA and USDA/APHIS authorities and are looking forward to offering Organic fresh lemons."
"Citromax Group continues to grow worldwide," Sangronis concluded. "Our group of companies offer a complete variety of citrus and flavor products. We are also proud to have recently opened our new office in China."
