"We've been asked to double our supply to Japan"

After the first 15 pallets of Limorè lemons were shipped at the end of March, Japanese distributors have asked the Rocca Imperiale Consortium of Associated Lemon Producers to double the volume in the coming weeks.

Premium Line

"We are surprised by the results we continue to get abroad," explains the Italian cooperative. "In the next few days, 30 more pallets will be leaving for Tokyo, with weekly unloadings until the end of May, and they will be destined for the chains of premium shops and restaurants. The customers have appreciated the organoleptic qualities of the fruit, such as the absence of seeds, the edible skin, the juice yield of over 40%, the limonene content of 75% and the intense aroma."

The cooperative's president, Pietro Buongiorno (pictured above), then points out that the most profitable markets also include the UK and Germany, where more than 20 pallets are exported each week. "If in Japan our lemons sell for around €7.50/kg (prices converted into euros), in London the average is €2.90/kg and in Germany around €2/kg. We also sell to other countries such as Austria, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the UAE, but supplies are more limited. January and February were normal months commercially, but the last five weeks have seen a doubling of demand."

4-fruit box

The 2023/24 Limoré lemon season is just over a month away. "It has been an anomalous year in terms of weather, with a mild winter and no rainfall. In the last few days the situation has changed, with a sharp drop in temperatures and frequent rainfall. Given the current dynamics of the market, we hope that the final rush will be just as satisfactory. What we need now is for the weather not to get excessively hot, so that we will be able to continue harvesting for a few more weeks."