Lemons are slightly more expensive than a year ago.
The transitional period in the lemon market is coming to an end. The season of importing these fruits from the southern hemisphere has ended, and the harvesting season has begun in Southern Europe and Turkey. Lemons imported from countries in the European Union during the summer from the southern hemisphere, such as Argentina and South Africa, are disappearing from the markets. This sometimes causes changes in prices, as the transitional phase usually leads to a decrease in supply until the campaign in Mediterranean basin countries gains momentum.
This was clearly visible two years ago when the lemon supply was disrupted in early November, leading to price increases. However, the situation was different last year. Lemons were noticeably cheaper due to a significant increase in supply from both Turkey and Spain.
How does the situation look this year? Lemons were very expensive in the last two decades of September (averaging PLN 13.00/kg in the Polish wholesale market at that time), but then prices dropped significantly by 60 percent. This was due to the pressure of lemon supply from South Africa, and the Turkish season gaining momentum in October.
Currently, Turkish lemons dominate the Polish market. While the supply of fruits from Spain has also increased, the recent tragic floods near Valencia have caused extensive damage to many citrus plantations, which is likely to impact price levels and their dynamics. Moreover, the lemon season in Spain is just beginning at the end of October and November.
In the Polish wholesale market, we are already seeing an increase in lemon prices, ranging from 3.50 to 8.00 PLN/kg, depending on the size and country of origin. These prices are 10 percent higher than last week and show a year-on-year increase of 28 percent. While this is a significant rise, current prices are still considerably lower than those from two years ago (-15 percent), as shown in the chart above. However, considering the significant damage in Spain, it is possible that we are in for another expensive citrus season.