Spain prepares for a shorter harvest of lemons and grapefruit

Higher yields from new plantations will only partially offset production losses caused by severe weather conditions. Spain forecasts a 10% decline in lemon and grapefruit production in 2022/23 according to the latest Ailimpo estimate. The interprofessional has set the next lemon harvest at 1.09 million tons, while the grapefruit harvest is expected to reach 76,000 tons. The shortfall is due to adverse weather conditions in 2022, with significant rain events in March and April affecting flowering and fruiting in many production areas. In addition, the unusually hot and dry summer resulted in delayed fruit development with smaller fruit sizes to date. Planted area has expanded significantly in the decade, with newer plantations getting higher yields each year. However, this has not been enough to offset the losses caused by this year's severe weather conditions, Ailimpo said. The forecast is somewhat better than initially expected, partly due to the higher production and larger ...