Turkish fruit will hit a good market and prices...

Global demand for lemons and short crops in major production areas are pushing prices up sky high. “Prices for southern-hemisphere lemons are running at a high we have not seen in years,” said Ken Smith, trading director at Greencell Ltd. “Argentina has not had great quality and then the frosts cut back everything. South Africa has had too much in small sizes and there is just not enough fruit to go round all the markets in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Add to that the fact that the Turkish crop is at least 30-40 per cent down, and it will be a tight market for October.”According to Jonathan Olins, who heads up Poupart’s non-supermarket business, Turkey is likely to be about 50 per cent down on its Interdonato lemon crop. “Interdonato is the early lemon variety and will be starting on September 20,” he said. “Last year they had a bumper crop, but this year it is down.” The Lamas lemon crop, which comes on stream in November, is expected to be in line with a normal season. “It will be a very strong market for lemons,” he said. “Turkish fruit will hit a good market and prices are already high.”