Lemon time

It is the middle of summer, and it's not that hard to sell lemons right now. One West Coast marketer said demand is as strong as always, with hot weather everywhere spurring demand. The supply of lemons is storage is being extended until the start of harvest in District III (Arizona). However, the crop in Arizona is light because of the January freeze, and the set is reported to be 50% less than last year. In the near term, look for 115s and 140s from California to be in adequate supply, while the larger 95s and the smaller 165s and 200s will tighten up first. Prices may remain mostly stable, however, the shipper said.
Cold weather in Chile spurred picking of fruit by growers concerned about a possible freeze. That flush of fruit could arrive in the U.S. market by late July and weigh on supply. Meanwhile, Spanish lemons have been a constant presence in the market since not long after the January freeze. Season to date shipments of Spanish lemons through June 30 were 24 million pounds, up from 6.7 million pounds the same time last season.