In October 2025, lemon prices in Russia rose nearly 12% compared to September and 24% year-on-year versus October 2024, according to NTech. Prices reflect both offline retail and online delivery averages.
The main driver is reduced Turkish exports due to a poor harvest: Turkish lemon production in 2025 fell by 20% compared to 2024. Exports to Russia dropped 25% in Q1 2025.
Replacing Turkish supplies is difficult due to established contracts and logistics with other suppliers, including Argentina, South Africa, China, Egypt, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Brazil, and Mexico. Summer deliveries come primarily from the Southern Hemisphere, which are more expensive than nearby Turkish imports.
This year, Russia has increased its imports of lemons from Uzbekistan. According to statistics, among the countries importing Uzbek lemons over the first nine months, Russia ranks first, with 1,239 tonnes. However, these volumes are not comparable to Turkish supplies. To expand exports, Uzbekistan plans to increase its own lemon harvest to 72,500 tonnes in 2026, while Turkey shipped 125,000 tonnes to Russia in 2024 (which was 11% less than in 2023). Abkhazia (Georgia) also plans to increase lemon supplies (they have already started this season), but their volumes are also far from Turkey's. There are currently no estimates for Turkey's upcoming lemon harvest, as the season is just beginning.
Among citrus fruits, oranges remain the most affordable, with prices falling nearly 20% year-on-year. Other citrus varieties remain stable thanks to diversified sources from China, Morocco, and South Africa.
Source: www.kp.ru
