ASAJA Alicante denounces low lemon prices for juice industry

Farmers in Alicante, Spain, are denouncing extremely low prices for 'rodrejo' lemons, which are primarily used for the juice industry. According to the Association of Young Farmers (ASAJA) Alicante, industry buyers are offering approximately 10 cents per kilo for harvested fruit, a price that the association claims does not cover actual production costs.

ASAJA Alicante president José Vicente Andreu stated that despite high domestic and international demand for lemon juice, the current offers do not reflect market reality. The association noted that stocks from the previous campaign have been exhausted and major producers like Argentina are seeing high industrial activity without significant reserves, indicating strong demand.

The organization emphasized that these lemons must be treated as agricultural products subject to the Food Chain Law, which prohibits purchasing below production costs and requires formalized contracts. ASAJA has urged producers to reject offers that do not ensure economic viability and has proposed moving toward multi-year contracts between farmers and the industry to provide greater stability and supply security.