Lemon and grapefruit crops in Spain are both forecast to decrease 10% in the 2022–23 season compared to the 2021–22 season. The forecast was made by the Spanish Lemon and Grapefruit Interbranch Organisation (AILIMPO), which represents the economic interests of producers, cooperatives, exporters and industrialists of lemon and grapefruit in Spain. According to AILIMPO, increased yields from new plantations only partly offset the production losses caused by severe weather conditions.
LEMON
AILIMPO’s lemon crop estimate is 1.09 million tons for the 2022–2023 season, compared to 1.21 million tons in 2021–22.
The expected decline is due to adverse weather conditions this year with significant rainfall events in March and April that affected flowering and fruit setting in many production areas. In addition, the summer has been particularly hot with increased temperatures and a lack of rain, resulting in delayed fruit development with smaller fruit sizes. The decrease will be particularly remarkable in the Verna variety, with a 22% drop. In the case of the Fino variety, a 5% drop is expected. The rate of harvesting and size development will determine the final crop estimate.
Spain will continue to be the world’s leading exporter of fresh lemons in 2022–2023, and the second largest processor of lemons in juice, essential oil and dehydrated peel worldwide.
GRAPEFRUIT
AILIMPO’s grapefruit production estimate for the 2022–2023 season points to an expected harvest in Spain of 76,000 tons, compared to 84,852 tons in 2021–22. In 2021–22, more than 62,000 tons were exported, primarily to the European Union, and 13,724 tons were processed; only 5,250 tons were consumed domestically.
AILIMPO prepared the forecast following the work protocol based on the aggregated information from surveys to producers, cooperatives, exporters and processing industries with field information from their control farms.
See the full lemon and grapefruit forecast for Spain here.
Source: AILIMPO
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