Spanish anticipate strong lemon season

Lemon producers in the south-eastern Spanish region of Murcia are expecting product to be of high quality when the season kicks off next month.

Alfonso Gálvez Caravaca of producers’ association Asaja Murcia said there has not been any “inclement weather” and product is showing “optimum quality”.

Meanwhile, figures released by the lemon and grapefruit trade association Ailimpo show that the 2010-11 season just closed represented a recovery for the sector on the frost-hit year of 2009-10. Volumes returned to 930,000 tonnes, a 36 per cent increase on the previous campaign despite a cold snap in December 2010 that affected 70,000t of the fruit.

The UK is one of the top three markets for Spanish lemons.