The Spanish lemon industry has confirmed the previous forecast figures released in the September report despite the recent adverse weather conditions in the country.

Industry association Ailimpo estimates 1.29 million metric tons (MT) of Spanish lemons, broken down into 947,000 tons of Fino lemons and 343,000 tons of Verna lemons.

The Fino lemon season will continue to develop, although with a significant reduction in commercial quality fruit available, despite the total volume of lemons on the tree.

“The commercial supply of Fino lemons for the fresh market will be lower in the second part of the season, which could put pressure on the sales market,” as stated in the press release.

However, the forecast for Spain's Verna lemon season is looking to be similar in volume to that of the 2020 campaign, along with marketing starting in May like last year, “guaranteeing supply throughout the summer of 2021”.

In addition, the GlobalGAP and GRASP certifications are part of the interprofessional’s strategy to differentiate Spain's lemons and to promote “sustainable production with a triple focus of economic, environmental and social”.

More than 25 percent of the total crop is estimated to be processed - an industry for which the Spanish lemon industry ranks second in the world.