"European cuisine" trend driving international lemon demand, says Argentine leader - FreshFruitPortal.com

"European cuisine" trend driving international lemon demand, says Argentine leader

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"European cuisine" trend driving international lemon demand, says Argentine leader

With an oversupply of oranges and dwindling grapefruit production in recent years, the Argentine citrus sector is set firmly on lemon crops for its future. In conversation with www.freshfruitportal.com, Argentine Citrus Federation (Federcitrus) president José Carbonell said India, Brazil and the U.S. were highly prospective markets, while a global trend toward greater consumption of the fruit was also promising. lemons_70598971 sq

On the back of recovery from frost and drought events in the past two years, Argentina's lemon growers are not only seeing stability in attractive prices overseas, but even a slight improvement in the European Union and Asia.

"We are optimistic about lemons because the world is showing an increase in consumption, as new consumers incorporated into the market tend to use European cuisine as an example," he says, highlighting the fact Europeans are the main buyers of the country's fresh lemons.

India could be a jewel of a market for the association, with expectations lifted after the country's Ambassador to Argentina Amarendra Khatua showed great interest in negotiating market entry for the product.

"He [Khatua] is a man who is very involved across the food trade and has clearly shown India's intention to open a stage of negotiations and to set a specific export protocol for lemons," the industry leader said.

In addition to consolidation plans for market negotiations in the Middle East, Canada and the U.S. - as well as a return to Japan by modifying cold treatment requirements - Carbonell is also betting on China where Argentina may have access for mandarins and oranges, but not lemons.

"Today the level of cold [treatment] is encouraging us - not for this year, but for the future - to resume exports to Japan and progress with China in that regard," he said.

The executive added negotiations for the re-opening of the U.S. market were currently dealing with health aspects.

"We are convinced the process of clarifying in the U.S. is finishing, and we'll have the possibility of entering again in some states - that's why we're starting associative processes with Californian companies."

He added it was also necessary to open the neighboring Brazilian market for the fruit, where Argentina already exports significant quantities of apples and pears.

"The Brazilian market has a unique feature because it would be a market in-season. We are basically exporters of counterseasonal fruit like Chile, like South Africa, for the Northern Hemisphere.

"Brazil is a market that curiously we have open today for other products like pome fruit, stonefruit, garlic, onions and sweet citrus, but not for lemons. And there is not much of a health situation, just a policy for which we have to advance."

Carbonell clarified that Brazil did not used to be on the radar as the country is a large consumer of limes, however the same trend of European cuisine was increasing lemon consumption in the BRIC nation, particularly in the south and in Sao Paulo.

"It is a market we are very determined to access during the summer."

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