The Spanish Verna lemon campaign will be longer than last year's, when imports from the southern hemisphere had to start earlier due to the lack of fruit. Sales remain stable despite the fact that the processing industry is paying rock bottom prices, and the quality is remarkable. The last batches will be sold at the end of July.
"The Verna harvest volume has been greater this year, allowing us to extend the sales period. Moreover, when the trees yield more fruit, these tend to be more homogeneous in terms of size and to have a smoother skin and a better color," says Víctor Martínez, Product Manager of citrus fruits at Amefruits. "I'd dare to say that the Verna lemon campaign has so far been a good one. We have been able to maintain a service with sufficient volumes and with the desired quality, thanks to the fact that the ripening has been adequate in each production area," he added.
As far as sales are concerned, the Product Manager says that they have been reasonably smooth so far, without great price swings, "although prices at origin could have been higher, had it not been for the influence of the processing industry, which has been paying extremely low prices."
Amefruits sells around 25,000 tons of garlic and lemons per year. The company started out as a garlic marketer and decided to start working with lemons 5 campaigns ago. It already sells more than 5,000 tons per year, with constant growth. "Although garlic and lemons may appear to be two completely different products, they have great similarities, as both are consumed as food condiments, you can easily work with them twelve months a year, and they usually have a stable demand. The cultivation of other citrus fruits, such as clementines, is much more seasonal in Spain. I've been working with lemons for over twenty years, and the truth is that I'm passionate about this product," says Víctor Martínez.
"Normally, we only import in August from countries such as Argentina, Chile or Uruguay to maintain a continuous service throughout the year, since in this month we cannot guarantee the supply of premium quality lemons in Spain due to the high temperatures. However, imports only represent about 5% of the volume that we sell. We believe that supplying Spanish lemons guarantees a greater freshness in Europe, since it is harvested, handled and delivered in much less time than the overseas lemon. Moreover, it is a product that gives us a great ability to react to any weather or market situation. For example, we can regulate the harvesting rate to keep it on par with the demand at any time. We don't have to deal with the perishable factor of other products, such as clementines or stone fruit, which need to be marketed quickly."
The company ships its Verna lemons mainly to Germany, France and Poland. At the beginning of the Verna campaign, we also export to the North American markets, especially Canada, which appreciates products with the health guarantee parameters under European legislation. In the Primofiori lemon season, more shipments are made overseas.
"At Amefruits, we are in love with lemons; that's why we like looking after the product and handling it with care; hence the name of our brand Citric Love, consolidated in the market and recognized for its freshness, appearance, quality and food safety. In order to protect the reputation of our brand, we aim not to grow rapidly in terms of volume, since that could lead to us not being able to care for the product. That's why we prefer to remain a medium-sized company," says Victor Martínez.
For more information:
Víctor Martínez
Amefruits
Pol Ind Apatel - C/ Joaquín Moya Martínez, Nº 57
03380 Bigastro, Alicante. Spain
T: +34 966 740 393
T: +34 635 799 807
citrus@amefruits.com
www.amefruits.com