As the lemon season, due to start in a few weeks, is being planned, it is still very hot in southern Italy, with peaks of over 30 °C.
"At the moment, lemon plants are going through a stressful phase due to the heat and persistent drought. It has not rained in over six months, which has seriously damaged the entire fruit and vegetable sector. The reservoir that supplies our area is practically at an all-time low. This summer, irrigation shifts were spaced up to 11 days apart, and were cancelled from the beginning of September as supply was reduced by 70%," reports Pietro Buongiorno, president of Consorzio di Produttori di Limoni Associati di Rocca Imperiale.
© Prod. di Limoni di Rocca Imperiale O.P. Soc.Coop. Agr.
"All we can do now is hope for the weather to be more in line with the period, but, above all, for the rain to come. On the production front, we are expecting a 30-40% drop this year, mainly due to the anomalous spring characterised by high humidity, which has contributed to the significant fruit drop. At the moment, there is already great excitement in the countryside from traders who are trying to grab batches of lemons. But the whole thing is clearly difficult to predict, because we will have to wait for the start of harvesting and marketing to test the market and, above all, to understand consumer behaviour when it comes to purchases and their frequency."
For six years now, the Limorè Consortium has been engaged in an entrepreneurial path of promotion and expansion of the lemon grown exclusively in the Rocca Imperiale area, a citrus fruit that is then marketed on several continents. "We are constantly present in many Italian and especially foreign big retail chains, such as Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, England, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Croatia, Hungary, and Romania. These European destinations are joined by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Japan. In fact, we are already planning the next lemon campaign, which will presumably start by mid-December."
© Prod. di Limoni di Rocca Imperiale O.P. Soc.Coop. Agr.
"We are optimistic, which is the result of years of work and investments in the lemon tree project. During this campaign, we will launch two new packages to further increase the offer and stand out from domestic and foreign competitors."
For more information:
Consorzio Produttori di Limoni Associati
Headquarters, Contrada Mantice snc
87074 Rocca Imperiale (CS) - Italy
+39 349 4694903
[email protected]
www.limore.it