European Union (EU) lemon production in 2020-21 is forecast to increase by almost 11 percent from last season, to 1.64 million metric tons (MMT), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). EU planted area for the citrus variety continues trending upward at around 78,000 hectares.
Spain is the union’s largest lemon producer with a forecast of 1.031 MMT, an increase of almost 11 percent from last year. Spain in recent years has increased its total planted area for the crop to about 45,000 hectares. Spain is the second largest lemon producer in the world, behind Argentina, but is the first global exporter of the variety for fresh consumption. Spanish production is concentrated in the regions of Murcia and Valencia, and the provinces of Malaga and Almeria in Andalusia.
Italy is the EU’s second largest lemon producer; its production is forecast to increase 10.3 percent to 491,000 metric tons. Sicily is Italy’s main lemon-producing area, accounting for 88 percent of production.
Greece, Portugal and Cyprus are the remaining EU lemon producers, with production forecast at 85,000 metric tons, 27,000 metric tons and 6,000 metric tons, respectively.
EU lemons are mainly consumed fresh; EU consumption is expected to increase in line with the increase in production.
The EU is a net importer of lemons. In 2019-20, it imported 579,948 metric tons of the crop and exported 81,523 metric tons. South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Turkey are the leading suppliers to the EU market, followed by Mexico.
EU lemon exports ship mainly from Spain, and are destined primarily for Switzerland, Serbia, Canada and Norway. During the last season, EU lemon exports to the United States fell sharply (by 86 percent) to 1,001 metric tons at a value of $1.3 million. U.S. tariffs related to a World Trade Organization case against EU aircraft subsidies impacted Spanish lemon exports to the United States.
See the full FAS report on EU citrus here.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service
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