High production costs have slashed Alicante province's lemon harvest by 40% compared to last year. According to Alicante's Asaja young farmers association, 800,000 tons of lemons have been produced this season, which is 20% less than during a normal harvest. High costs incurred by growers and a reduction in foreign demand are said to have contributed to the fall.
The season had started with high hopes of fetching farmers up to 40 cents per kilo but Asaja said that despite those prices being 'similar to those fetched seven years ago'. things turned round due to 'very high production costs'.
Source: theolivepress.es