Lemon producers from the Guadalhorce valley, in the Spanish province of Malaga, held a protest a few days ago in the capital and gave away 3,000 kilos of lemons to people on the street. Their aim was to highlight the difficult situation they are facing, with contracts that, according to UPA Malaga, fail to cover their production costs, in violation of the Food Chain Law.
"While production costs per kilo amount to around 35 cents, we know that lemons have been purchased for 20 and even 15 cents; and that's if you're lucky," said Francisco Moscoso, general secretary of the agricultural organization in Malaga. "Meanwhile, retailers are selling these same lemons to consumers for between 1.90 and 2.10 euros per kilo."
"It's true that the harvest has increased this year, but that's no reason for these ruinous prices and for entire fields to be left unharvested. Meanwhile, products from third countries are arriving at much cheaper prices than ours, as they have been grown with much lower labor costs and without meeting the same phytosanitary requirements that we must meet."
"We know that all campaigns have price fluctuations, but this year has been catastrophic for the producers of Guadalhorce," says Francisco. "Furthermore, investment funds have seen opportunities in agriculture and are investing in large plantations, taking over the market. In this context, small and medium-sized producers are going to get the wrong end of the stick."
"There are buyers taking advantage of growers at this time"
Sebastian Ramos, an organic lemon grower, is one of those producers from Guadalhorce. "Luckily, I have managed to salvage the season, but some of my colleagues have been forced to leave 100% of the fruit in their fields, as they've found no buyers. We are talking about millions of kilos," he says. "I also know of producers who, finding themselves desperate, have sold their lemons for as little as 8 cents per kilo."
"There are buyers taking advantage of growers at this time, and some are giving in, because they still have all their production to sell. Such a price is shameful."
"And the consumer is the one who ends up paying. For them, everything is always more expensive. Also, when organic lemons are purchased here in large stores for 2 euros per kilo, they don't know that they are buying a lemon that, although it is really good, it was sorted as second class. The first class lemon is all going to the export market. And in countries like the UK or Northern Europe, lemons are sold by the piece," says Sebastian. "For us to be paid 8 cents per kilo is a form of deception, but so is for the consumer to pay 50 cents or more for a single lemon, no matter how organic it is."
For more information:
UPA Malaga
Tel.: +34 952 004 950
upamalaga@upamalaga.es
www.upamalaga.es