Lemon harvesting in Argentina has kicked off. “Our harvest started April 10,” says Mariano Sangronis with Citromax. Usually, harvest begins mid-March for the company, but an unexpected drought during the southern hemisphere summer affected the growth and size of the fruit. “The summer was very dry with extreme temperatures. We purposely delayed the harvesting process to give the fruit an opportunity to recover and grow to their potential,” Sangronis shared.
Once harvest started, it was soon interrupted by rains. “The rains were important for the health of the orchards, but we’re hopeful for a steady harvesting flow now through the end of May.” All in all, total production volume will be 10 percent less, but exports are expected to be up 10 percent from last year.
Transition from northern hemisphere
The delayed start makes Citromax optimistic about the transition from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere lemon crop. “Production in the northern hemisphere is winding down and we expect an earlier than usual shift to southern hemisphere fresh lemons. The delay from Argentina will prevent too much fruit entering the market at the same time and will help with a smooth transition.”
“Despite the smaller size, the quality of the fruit is outstanding,” said Sangronis. This, in combination with higher production levels and increased demand has resulted in Citromax planning to grow exports this season. “Demand from all regions is up since the start of Covid. We continue to have a strong presence in the US and Europe and expect to recover in the China region this year now that there are no more Covid restrictions.” In addition, the company makes it a priority to develop exports to new regions. “The sizing will be a limiting factor, but our main goal this season will be to achieve the best balance throughout all markets.”
For more information:
Citromax
www.citromax.com
Mariano Sangronis
Tel: +1 (201) 655-0119
msangronis@citromax.com
Bernabé Padilla
bpadilla@citromax.com.ar
Tel: +54 9 3815 27-3453