The juice and essential oil industry supplies lemons, among other products, that do not reach supermarkets due to their small size or blemishes. Normally this is usually 10% of the harvest, but this year this has increased to 40% due to drought and hailstorms recorded last September, resulting in high levels of surplus that processing companies are not willing to absorb. Conclusion? Prices dropped to just 3 cents per pound; This is a ridiculous figure considering the cost of the harvest is 15 cents. This is why approximately 100,000 tons remain uncollected in the province of Alicante, because farmers do not want to lose money on their activities. The situation for the sector is extremely complex, as the price of lemons reaching supermarkets also moves at discounted rates. Threatens with loss of nearly 40 million euros.
The citrus industry of the province of Alicante promised them happiness when they saw a good harvest of lemons at the beginning of summer; moreover, in a scenario where competition from manufacturers from Argentina and South Africa is less than in previous years. . But things started to go wrong in September. Up to five hailstorms were recorded on farms in Vega Baja, the main production region, affecting the appearance of the fruit.. High temperatures and drought were later added to this in the context of water shortages due to interruptions in the Tajo-Segura transfer, leading to a smaller caliber than expected.
What is usual for these lemons is that they fall into the hands of the industry, which is responsible for their processing into juices, essential oils, fizzy drinks, ice cream, pectin or dietary fibers, among other products. However, it is clearly seen in this period that all climatic and meteorological negativities have dire consequences for the sector. This is explained by José Vicente Andreu, president of Asaja Alicante, which is also a citrus producer. “We found it – he regretted it – The amount of lemons for the sector was much higher than normal, causing prices to fall.”.
Currently the price is around 3 cents at best, but there are companies that outright refuse to purchase larger quantities once their needs are met. The result is this: Many farmers choose to leave their crops unharvested because they cannot even remotely afford the cost of harvesting.. The affected variety is thin lemon, which is waiting for what may happen in the verna, which will initially go into campaign.
But this is not the end of everything, considering that the prices of lemons sent to supermarkets are also very low. According to José Vicente Andreu, “The campaign started well, especially in exports, but gradually we saw how it happened.” Consumption is falling across Europe, which is reflected in prices”. In fact, they are currently paying between 18 and 20 cents per pound, which barely covers production costs. “The situation is very delicate at the moment. We believe that business activity can pick up in the coming weeks, otherwise we could be talking about losses of up to 40 million euros,” he warns.
Carles Peris, secretary general of La Unió, who visited some farms in Vega Baja and met with farmers just this Tuesday, also testifies with similar statements. The organization it directly manages will make a request from both the Ministry and the Ministry of Labor. Authorization of extraordinary aid of €9.5 million in the form of withdrawals to lemon producers in the Valencian CommunityThey were mostly concentrated in the province of Alicante in an attempt to compensate for the disastrous campaign they faced.
In particular, the measure will involve the removal of at least 50,000 tonnes of thin lemons from the market.For this, they demand that each of the Administrations undertake half of the budget. “What this will be about, Peris said, means paying farmers, whether in an organization of fruit and vegetable producers or not, 0.18 euros per kilo of lemons, which is the official cost of production, although it has not been updated since 2018.” The agricultural organization also said that these surpluses will request that it be allocated to charities or food banks.
Unió put the losses for Alicante lemon producers at around 26 million euros, just for the fruits that could not be harvested. “The problem,” he emphasizes, “is that The industry evaluates the lemons in its warehouse and tells producers that their fruits are sufficient and that they will not need to buy more from the field.. Therefore, all of the production that came out of industry in the past years may not be collected.” To the losses already calculated by this organization should be added the final balance of the campaign, depending on the development of prices at all levels.
On the other hand, both La Unió and Asaja have expressed their intentions. To inform the Food Information and Control Agency (AICA) about any practices that may violate the Food Chain Actto pay for lemons below their cost of production.
Lemons that have to go to the industry are left unpicked, but there are a few growers who pay crews to throw them directly onto the ground.In anticipation of what might happen next season. Joaquín Marcos, one of whom has farms in Torremendo, underlines the following: “We are in a situation where the industry does not want these as gifts. But the problem is that if I leave them on the trees I may find that next year’s harvest is ridiculous because it will affect them.”
The producer criticizes this: While lemons entering supermarkets fetch farmers between 18 and 20 cents per kilo, they are sold on the shelves for an average of 2 euros.. “The system needed to be organized from the bottom up, so that the farmer would be paid a fair wage of 30 to 35 cents per kilo for his work, and middlemen and supermarkets would set their margins from there. But the opposite happens,” he laments.
And he expresses concern about what might happen next season. In his words, “What is happening now will have consequences, and there will be serious consequences next year. Because People are losing money and next year they won’t even be able to do simple things like fertilize trees or do phytosanitary treatments.“With the consequences this will have on production.”
Transfer interruptions were also added to this. “There is a dire water shortage, and what is available will be at unaffordable prices.. So farmers will be completely disenchanted and will have no choice but to abandon the fields because it is completely destructive to devote themselves to it under the current conditions.”