Lemon supplies for North America are transitioning from the influence of South American imports back to sourcing from the U.S. and Mexico. “Overall, the lemon supply is getting tighter, particularly on larger sizes. It will continue this way until District 3 gets into more picking and production,” says John Carter of Limoneira.
Lemon supplies are transitioning back to the U.S. and Mexico as sourcing areas.
Imports: “For the start of the 2023 season, it appears that the transition will be more traditional as there was less imported fruit this summer,” says Carter. “And as the U.S. season starts, we are also seeing significantly less delayed final import arrivals compared to last year caused by the COVID-related supply chain issues.”
He notes that along with less volume from both Chile and Argentina, Mexican lemons have been challenged with low rain and sizing. However, Mexico has had rainfall this past week.
Additionally, South Africa still has some arrivals coming into Canada.
D2 is winding down with supplies with limited larger sizes available.
California District 2: The current 2022 season is winding down with limited larger sizes available. The 2022 crop, as forecasted, was bigger than the previous year.
California District 3: District 3 is slowly getting started with production. “Indicators are that the crop is similar in volume to last year with good sizing due, in part, to monsoon activity,” says Carter. “This same activity has also brought wind which can impact grading, so we will look out for this as the season progresses.”
California District 1: District 1 begins early to mid-October and at this point, fruit size looks smaller says Carter. “Sizing in District 1 depends on the timing and quantity of rain over the next several months. Overall, D1 is expected to be down 10-15 percent from what was a large crop this past year,” he notes.
John Carter says Limoneira is also launching its 130 Years of Heritage Campaign and an anniversary celebration on March 4, 2023. From now and throughout 2023, Limoneira will share images, videos and stories of its history.
As for lemon demand, it looks encouraging: foodservice demand is returning to pre-COVID levels and export market demand has also been improving.
“Currently, we see movement upwards on pricing. This has been evident over the past two weeks, particularly on larger sizes,” says Carter. “Pricing will likely have a steady climb until we get into more of the heart of the District 3 season when Mother Nature will have her say relating to size and grade.”
For more information:
John Carter
Limoneira
Tel: +1 (805) 525-5541
JCarter@limoneira.com
https://www.limoneira.com/