Chilean organic lemons have caught the attention of major European importers, according to a recent report by ProChile's commercial office in Germany.

The marketing organization said more than 10 importers from Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and other countries had been making enquiries about the product.

Importers were keen to find new small and medium suppliers of organic lemons from the Southern Hemisphere. However, ProChile added Argentina and South Africa were already capitalizing on this gap in the market.

The report said there was a growing interest in Europe for organically grown fruits and vegetables, which offered enormous potential for Chile.

ProChile said Europeans used lemons to prepare meals and drinks and that there was particularly strong demand for organic lemons when using peel for cakes and dessert decoration.

The organization said Spain was the largest exporter of both organic and conventional lemons to Germany in 2010, commanding 58% of the market, followed by Italy with 17% and Argentina at 14%. Chile occupied ninth place with a 0.3% market share.

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