Talking about the fruit's quality this year, Rafael tells us that it is "quite good". "We started the campaign with small calibres, but the latest rains have increased the fruit's size, as well as its quality."
AILIMPO is the acronym for the Inter-professional Lemon and Grapefruit Association, representing these citrus fruits' sectors with the main goal of achieving better coordination between agricultural production and the market's needs.
"At the moment we are working with the Primofiori variety, which is the one we produce the most," says Rafael. From now and until the early winter we must compete with Interdonato lemons from Turkey; another good quality lemon, although harder and a little less juicy."
In February work will start with Verna lemons. "The harvest for this variety starts later than others and lasts until July, making it possible to sell it for 10 months. It is a thick-skinned lemon, which gives it a long shelf life, as it can be stored for up to 3 months. It has few seeds and a low sourness level compared with other varieties.
Regarding prices, the entrepreneur tells us that "they are at an acceptable level. The price is set around 27 cents per kilo for the small calibres. It is acceptable, so we hope it stays that way throughout the campaign," he concluded.