Meyer lemon production in Turkey has been increasing in recent years due to growing demand. In 2016, the country produced 180,000 to 200,000 tons, and every year production increases by 5 to 10%. However, this year, things are different. The lack of rain in the country and the high temperatures have affected flowering and, as a result, there is a smaller amount of fruit in the trees than in previous years. "We expect to have up to 20% less availability. In addition, sizes are smaller, which can cause us some problems, as our customers continue to demand large sizes," said Mustafa Arslan, of MDA Agro.
This decrease in production has meant that the prices obtained at the beginning of the season - which began in September - have been higher than those of last year. In 2016 producers were paid 0.55 to 0.60 euro per kilo, and this year they were paid about 0.20 euro more. The main problem in Turkey is that most of the companies in the sector that have packers buy too much lemon from small farmers in the area before the season, so prices begin to fall quickly as they need to sell all the accumulated merchandise.
Currently, Spain is also producing lemons, so they could be Turkey's competitor in the international market. However, "each country has very well defined markets. We usually send more product to Eastern countries and Russia, as the Meyer lemon can't stand long shipments because of its type of skin." On the other hand, Spain focuses more on supplying Western Europe and Central Europe. "Actually, we can't say that we are a direct competition. The real competition is among ourselves, the Turkish producers," Arslan stated.
This fruit, which is a cross between a mandarin and lemon, is characterized by having a soft, thin, and edible skin, a large amount of juice, and not being too sour. Its trees are smaller because they produce much more fruit than the lemon trees of other varieties. The season begins in the first week of September and ends in the second week of January. After the harvests of November, the fruit's color turns a dark yellow and at the end of December it turns orange.
For more information:
Mustafa Arslan
MDA Agro
Telf.: 90 324 358 11 51