Unifrutti Italia says it plans to triple imports of lemons with an edible peel this season from Southern Hemisphere countries.

The company said the edibility of the peel is a very important added value, and is becoming more popular among consumers in Italy.

"Thanks to the Group's various production of lemons, located in different climatic areas, we are aiming for a careful selection of the harvests in order to be able to distribute large volumes of lemons with edible peel 365 days a year," explains Gianluca Defendini, CEO of Unifrutti Italia.

"During the winter season, Italian demand is satisfied with Sicilian Made in Italy lemons, including the prized Femminello di Siracusa IGP lemon."

"During the upcoming summer season, Unifrutti expects to triple the importation of Eureka lemons with wax-free and chem-free peel, coming both from our 300 hectares in Argentina (located in the renowned Tucuman area) and from the South Africa division of the Group, which is recognised as a centre of production excellence for the whole citrus sector."

In the Italian citrus fruit counter-season of 2021, Unifrutti will also implement a change in the production of its oranges, raising the quality standards for the selected types of orange that will enter the country.

This will include the arrival of Navel and Valencia oranges with an edible peel from South Africa, with the aim of expanding this segment on an ongoing basis.