Brazilian lemons have become one of the country's leading fruit exports. According to Luiz Eduardo Raffaelli, institutional director of the Brazilian Association of Fruit and Derivative Producers and Exporters (Abrafrutas), "Lemons are now Brazil's third most exported fruit, behind mangoes and melons, so they are highly relevant."
The fruit exported is the Tahiti lime (Citrus latifolia). Raffaelli explained: "You have subvarieties of the Tahiti lime, including the Quebra Galão lime, Ponta Firma, and Peruvian. You have different rootstocks, such as Fly Dragon and Citromelo. So you have a wide variety, but the final fruit is always the Tahiti lime. This depends a lot on the soil, climate, region, and each company's strategy."
Exports mainly go to Europe. "85% of lemon exports go to the European Union and the United Kingdom, and 15% remain in South America. Keeping in mind that the domestic market is a strong buyer of lemons, approximately 70% remains domestically and 30% is exported," said Raffaelli.
Volumes have been increasing steadily. "Brazilian lemon exports are growing year after year, volumes are growing, and prices remain stable. So the price per kilo of exported fruit is stable. We're not seeing an increase in the value of the product, but rather an increase in volume."
The lemon industry also has a labor dimension. "Lemons have a very important characteristic: they are produced by small farmers, so it's a labor-intensive type of agriculture, making it very important within the sector. In the state of São Paulo, Brazil's leading lemon producer, we currently have official data indicating 150,000 jobs directly linked to the lemon supply chain," Raffaelli noted.
Challenges remain in the sector. "The main challenge in the chain today, I wouldn't even say lemon, I'd say citrus, or even more so fruit, is the labor issue, which is our biggest challenge. Climate issues have taken a back seat, with considerable importance, and phytosanitary issues and logistics have been a major challenge for the fruit chain, and lemon is part of that," he said.
Producers are investing to respond to these challenges. "Year after year, we're making new investments in technology, new varieties, and new techniques. Average yields per hectare are rising steadily. Packing houses are more adapted and becoming more professional. So, overall, the chain has become more professional and has increasingly adopted good agricultural practices."
Raffaelli also highlighted the potential of new markets. "This year, we saw the opening of the Indian market to Brazilian lemons. We are in negotiations to open the Chinese market to Brazilian lemons. These are new markets, markets with high growth potential."
Source: Abrafrutas