Moroccan Lemons Negatively Affected by Heat and Drought

The Eureka and Verna lemon varieties predominantly grown in Morocco have three harvest periods, an early one in August/September, a second in November and a third in February which extends until the end of April. Because of the high temperatures recorded in July and August 2022, the 2022/23 season is expected to start slightly later with initial estimates pointing towards the end of September 2022. Many fruits have fallen from the tree because of the drought and sunburn and the size will generally be small to medium for the 2022/23 season. The overall quality for this season is estimated to be average at best. The Moroccan climate is not particularly favorable for the production of lemons therefore it is not known for the highest quality of lemons on the market. The Moroccan lemon is valued for export when the other dominant origins are absent from the markets namely China, Turkey, Egypt, and Spain.