The majority of large European retailers have already made the switch from Southern Hemisphere lemons to fruit from the Northern Hemisphere, with Spain taking center stage with the Primofiori variety.

“Although the latest rains have delayed the harvest a little, the truth is that it still started a little earlier than usual due to the high prices offered at the source,” says Enrique Fuentes, Sales Director of the Murcian company Hijos de Alberto del Cerro.

According to the interprofessional organization Ailimpo, Spain’s lemon production will drop by almost 20% compared to the previous season. “When it became official that Spain would have a lower lemon supply this season, following a South African season also marked by a drop in the supply, more lemons started arriving from other sources, some of them from more unusual providers. At the moment, there are hardly any batches left from the Southern Hemisphere, and the majority of supermarket chains and wholesale markets have already switched to Spanish Primofiori lemons, whose supply is becoming greater and more reliable,” says Enrique Fuentes.

“The production will be smaller, but in general, I believe there won’t be interruptions in the supply. At some points of the season, there might be a bit more tension if the demand stays strong,” says Enrique. “Turkey also expects to have a lower production this year, so I think we could have a commercially interesting season, as long as not too much fruit is imported from other sources, such as Egypt, which could have an influence at certain times.”

© Joel Pitarch | FreshPlaza.comMaribel, Martina, and Enrique at Fruit Attraction 2025.

“We are starting with remarkably higher purchase prices at the source than in other years, so sales prices will also be higher. We will see how the right balance is achieved to ensure all links in the value chain can make a profit,” says the Sales Director of this trading company.

The rains of the last few days in Murcia and Alicante, where most of Spain’s lemon production is concentrated, have slowed down the harvest a little, but they will also help the fruit grow to larger sizes, considering that these are generally smaller at the beginning of the season.

Having just celebrated its 40th anniversary, Hijos de Alberto del Cerro markets around 25 million kilos of lemons annually, both conventional and organic, mainly to France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Eastern countries, among others.

For more information:
Enrique Fuentes
Hijos de Alberto del Cerro
C/ Mayor, 372.
30139 El Raal, Murcia. Spain
Tel.: +34 968600162
Tel.: +34 696982440
[email protected]
www.albertodelcerro.com