According to Kazakhstan's First Credit Bureau, lemon prices in the country rose sharply by 7.1% in April 2025 compared to the previous month. This marks the steepest monthly increase since August 2021, when prices soared by 10.5%. Experts say this recent jump, although not unprecedented, signals a significant spike within the last several years.
"Since 2021, we haven't observed such a high pace of monthly price growth, except for May 2023 (5%) and October 2024 (7%)," the agency reported. The April figure remains below the record-breaking 50.1% surge registered in April 2020, when global supply chains were disrupted due to the onset of the war in Ukraine.
Lemon prices have been rising consistently for nine consecutive months, starting in August 2024. While the early increases were modest, October saw an acceleration in the upward trend. At the time, government officials had warned of rising prices for imported fruits and vegetables, linking the trend to currency fluctuations.
April 2025 brought further strain to the market. As reported by local media, Turkey, Kazakhstan's second-largest lemon supplier, temporarily halted exports due to poor harvest conditions. In 2024, Turkey accounted for 8.2% of Kazakhstan's lemon imports, supplying 1,800 tonnes.
The majority of Kazakhstan's lemons, however, come from China, which provided 78.3% of the total import volume last year, approximately 21,400 tonnes. Industry analysts suggest that any disruption from these key trade partners significantly impacts domestic pricing.
Source: www.inform.kz