"As is usual during the summer period, demand for natural juice is increasing at this time of year. Our Italian and Japanese customers have increased their requests, especially with regard to blood orange derivatives. Unfortunately, the sector is heavily affected by the confusion regarding the origin of the raw material, because a lot of foreign products arrive in Italy, especially from Spain and Greece," reports Salvatore Imbesi, director of the Ortogel and Agrumi-Gel citrus processing industries.
© Ortogel SpAIn the photo, Hideyuki Momose, Koji Kanno, and Yukiko Yamadai in charge of the Japanese giant Sumitomo Corporation Foods.
"On the other hand, we are receiving proposals for supplies of blood orange juice from Morocco: We are talking about a country that is notoriously expanding for these exports to European Union countries as a result of the drop in production in Brazil."
© Ortogel SpA
"At this stage, fruits are large thanks to the rain that has benefited the plants and helped raise the levels of the reservoirs. However, for the 2025/26 campaign, production is expected to be lower than planned due to the fruit drop caused by the rain and gusts of wind between March and April, which affected an abundant flowering, and which had led us to believe quantities would be abundant."
© Cia Sicilia Orientale Photo from theCia Sicilia Orientale Facebook page.
"In addition, in some areas near Mineo (CT), a heavy hailstorm partially destroyed the growing fruit last week, producing a significant defoliation of the arboreal plants and widespread wounds on the surface of the fruit. In recent years, the Sicilian citrus sector has been hit hard by climate change, with serious consequences for the quality and quantity of production and the economic sustainability of farms."
© Ortogel SpA
"Lemon demand is good. Finally, after years of stagnation, demand and prices are on the up for both the product destined for the processing industry and for the fresh market: this is due to lower volumes from other producer countries."
© Ortogel SpA
For more information: 
Ortogel Srl
C.da Balchino Industrial Zone
95039 Caltagirone (CT) (Italy)
+39 0933 1902800
+39 348 8949166
[email protected]
www.ortogel.eu
