"For Sicilian lemons, it has been a complicated year with little produce available, so much so that we have remained deeply dissatisfied," reports Salvo Magliocco, manager of Cooperativa PASAM Agrumi in Syracuse (Sicily), specializing in the production and commercialization of femminello lemons holding the organic and Demeter certifications. But let's take a step back to better understand the current situation.

"This year, the production of maggiolino, i.e. the lemons harvested between April and June, was characterized by low quantities. There were drops due to unfavorable weather events. Prices were rather high during that phase, €0.80/kg on average, precisely due to the lack of produce. Spain filled the gap as much as possible both in Italy and abroad, also when it comes to that part of the market we usually fill. In addition, the sustained prices caused by the lack of produce and the skyrocketing production prices did not lead to any benefits for producers."

The current production
"We have now reached the verdello lemon part of the season, which is usually between July and September. There is even less produce than during the previous months, this time due to the heat wave in July, which saw temperatures remaining consistently above 40°C, with peaks of almost 49°c. There are few lemons due to scalding, as can be seen in the photo above. The production prices of organic produce hover around €1.00/kg, which are good but useless if the produce is not available. Supplies in Italy are currently guaranteed by produce from the southern hemisphere, which is not even comparable to ours and, mostly, it does not hold the organic certification. In fact it takes over 30 days to reach the European continent, meaning products are used that make the peel inedible."

"The danger with moments such as these, is that the markets might start to request non-Sicilian produce even after the current crisis, especially when it comes to the traditional produce. What we definitely are not afraid of is the comparison when it comes to quality. Femminello lemons from Syracuse are in fact rich in juice and essential oils, which are used in particular by the cosmetic industry. What is also certain is that the most demanding markets we export to, i.e. Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark, will never renounce our PGI organic lemons."

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com