"The harvest season for our lemons started about a month ago, although the high temperatures and the resulting uneven colouring of the lemons have unfortunately had a somewhat negative effect on us".
"At the moment, the plants have green fruits, far from having the colour of when they are ripe. We assume that the fruits will have a uniform yellow colour in mid-January. The recurring climatic variations, especially in recent years, are a very unreliable factor. We hope that the temperatures will drop rapidly so that the lemons can be harvested at the optimum colouring stage". This is what Giovanni Pezzino di Geronimo, sales manager and co-owner of Il Limone del Barone in Italy, says. Giovanni runs the company together with his brother Andrea.
Il Limone del Barone is located in Carlentini, in the area of Syracuse, where mainly organic oranges and seedless Femminello lemons are grown on a total area of 70 hectares.
The Femminello lemon, also known as the lemon of Syracusa, is characterised by three seasonal flowering periods, with growing and ripening periods from October to April (Primofiore), from May to June (Bianchetto) and from June to September (Verdello). When the lemon is fully ripe, the skin is yellow, of medium thickness and adheres to the flesh.
"This year, the production units have been expanded to speed up processing times. Therefore, despite a gradual increase in the quantities processed, the maniacal care in processing and packaging the citrus fruit has ensured that a high level of quality is maintained".
In addition to the classic wooden packaging, the brand has also introduced cardboard packaging for Premium Quality lemons this year. This is increasingly demanded by customers.
Giovanni says: "We are waiting for the start of the new year before we really start the season. We are convinced that our lemons stand out as one of the best in the world because of their organoleptic characteristics. We are therefore not afraid of competition from the Spanish lemon, although it is very present in the main international markets".
"Our lemons are 100% edible. They have a higher citric acid content, they are seedless and have good taste, a juice percentage of 44% and a good shelf life. More and more markets are discovering our lemons.
"Our lemons will be available until April, with a quantity of product more than 30% higher compared to the season of 2017, thanks to the increase of agricultural land. A few days ago we started the first deliveries of 1 kg mesh bags. The feedback from our customers was very positive. The sales increased by 30% compared to the lemons sold in the common mesh".
"Traditionally, our brand's reference market has been the French one. This year, the Parisian market increased orders and quantities at the start of the season, and new and important collaborations with the French large-scale retail sector emerged. The recent demonstrations and protests in France have led to a disruption of the transport sector and a successive slowdown in sales, especially in the first weeks of December," concludes Giovanni.
Contact details:
Il limone del Barone 
Contrada Sperone
96013 Carlentini (SR) - Italy
Mobile: (+39) 349 3553990
Email: info@illimonedelbarone.it
Web: www.illimonedelbarone.it