"2012 was a difficult year for lemons, especially for the Italian market and for organic lemons, which are generally more easily hit by sales crisis. The prices of organic produce is in fact a bit higher and consumers tend to prefer cheaper products," explains Fabio Moschella at Nuremberg's Biofach (13-16 February 2013).
"Attendance wasn't as good compared to previous years, which is not a good sign. There is a crisis in the Italian internal market, but we have noticed that it is becoming more general. The consumer crisis is hitting even solid markets such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England and France."
Fabio Moschella chairman of the Consortium for the Safeguard of the PGI Lemon of Syracuse (Sicily) and executive manager of the bio Campisi Italia company.
According to the chairman, produce coming from Spain is generally putting pressure on all markets, both in terms of quantity and prices.
Examining the situation of the market, Moschella considers that, as Italy has been having problems as regards politics in the past few years, the image of national suppliers has been affected in terms of reliability and integrity. "Unfortunately, buyers and European mass retailing transfer the image of the country to that of suppliers. We must tackle this by building our image once again, thanks to our service and our products. There must be a way to get out of the tunnel, right?".
A production recovering since 2012
"This year, the production of lemons has been a good one, regarding both quantity and quality. Nothing to do with the last season, when there have been some quality problems. This year there is plenty of produce and it's very good. The only concern we have had has been with the size during the first few months. In October, November and December 2012, and even in January 2013, rainfall has been scarce in the Syracuse area and this affected the development."
Foreign markets for lemons are, as usual, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Denmark and France, with few requests now coming from Eastern countries. "Luckily foreign markets are holding up and are somehow supporting us."
Expectations for the future
"No crisis can last forever, so we are expecting a recovery. The demand for lemons is generally 'inelastic' so consumption has been stable for decades. In the last few years there has been a slight decrease in Europe, so we are expecting it to realign in the immediate future."
News? "We are working on a few variety innovations and on the chance for a 12-month availability of the Italian product."
As far as packaging is concerned, Moschella describes one of the novelties: "We have worked on a particularly elegant package, in which lemons are presented in single layer cells just as peaches, nectarines, kiwis and apples are. Lemons therefore will no longer be considered as commodities and will become quality products. I have to say that it is working out very well, as it puts the product on display. The packaging is successful abroad and is also developing on the Italian market. In addition, lemons now have stickers that make their origin and quality clearer."
Positive judgement of the "Quality Package"
"We want the European Union to acknowledge and sustain quality brands in the next Cap. The European market for responsible consumers, who can afford to spend a little more on fruit and vegetables. All of this has a strong link to quality brands."
As far as the PGI mark is concerned, Moschella comments that such quality mark is gaining the trust of the consumer, who associates it with better quality and is prepared to spend a bit more. "We are not rising the prices of PGI products because we want them to be known. The mark guarantees better safety, as there are protocols, specifications and certifications behind it."
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