It is still too early to predict the exact figures, but it is certain that this will be case, as the weather conditions have been far from ideal in the production areas.
It is worth noting that the flowering was affected by severe droughts and mild winter temperatures, which were then suddenly interrupted with severe frosts in late July 2013. According to experts, the temperatures caused lemon trees to reactivate their development in June and July; frosts then arrived at the peak of the trees' productive activities.
Additionally, the spring 2013 was marked by a notable lack of moisture, and it is also worth noting that the summer has been extremely warm so far, with temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius. All of this makes estimating the 2014 production volumes a difficult task. "Despite this situation, ALL LEMON confirmed that Argentina has enough lemon volumes to cover the changing levels of demand of the northern hemisphere during the summer months," assures Carlos Parravicini, vice-president of ALL LEMON.
It is also important to take counter season lemon harvest volumes into account, which are also affected by the weather conditions in the northern hemisphere. The focus is on Spanish and Turkish lemons, among others. The way in which the northern season ends will determine, to a certain extent, how southern lemon campaigns will start.
For the fifth year in a row, the seal certifying the quality of Argentinian lemons took part in Fruit Logistica
"For this reason, ALL LEMON will strengthen its team of inspectors to increase the number of daily controls on lemon shipments," explains Romain Corneille, president of ALL LEMON. It is the entity's duty to ensure that all lemons from its associates meet the necessary quality requirements for each market. The Association guarantees the quality of the fruit of its 16 members, which represent approximately 80% of the country's total export volumes.
The destinations for Argentinian lemons this year will be the same as in 2013, and ALL LEMON will continue focusing on the Middle and Far East, as the market share of Argentinian fruit in those areas is expected to increase. Asia is where the most remarkable growth was registered, with 22% greater volumes than in 2012. The main destinations within this region were Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey and Iraq.