Chilean lemon production is projected to grow by 2.6% in 2024–25, reaching 197,000 metric tons (MT), the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) reported.
Chile’s lemon acreage is expected to reach 10,400 hectares, a 4.8% increase from 2023–24. The increase in area planted is a major reason for the expected production increase. The area planted with lemons in Chile has grown consistently over the past 10 marketing years.
PROFITABLE ALTERNATIVE
Growers have found lemon production and exports to be a profitable alternative to other crops, such as avocados, due to higher prices and lower water requirements.
Chile’s lemon harvest begins in April. During Chile’s winter, from June to September, international prices exceed domestic prices, prompting most Chilean producers to export lemons to North America, Europe and Asia. During the summer months, from December to March, when the production volume decreases and domestic prices are high, Chilean lemons are sold in the domestic market.
EXPORTS EXPANDING
In 2024–25, due to the increase in production, USDA FAS estimates that Chile’s lemon exports will increase by 3.3%, reaching 93,000 MT.
The top market for Chilean lemons is the United States. In 2023–24, based on data until September, 65% of Chile’s lemon export volume went to the United States.
Other top markets for Chilean lemons in 2023–24 included Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands. In 2023–24, based on data until September, exports increased 37.4% over the previous year. That increase was due to favorable climatic conditions in the Metropolitana and Valparaíso regions, which boosted production volume.
The bulk of exports takes place between June and September each year, peaking in July or August depending on climatic and market conditions.
See the full USDA FAS report on Chile’s citrus production here.
Source: USDA FAS
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