A.P.A.L. (Associazione Produttori Agricoli Lentinesi) is an agricultural organization which represents 70 citrus and fruit growers from Lentini, near Siracusa (Sicily). Amongst the main productions there are oranges (12,000 MT annually), fruits and lemons (3,000 MT).

FreshPlaza has asked Salvatore Scrofani, APAL's chairman, a comment about the actual situation for lemon's market: "In Sicily - Salvatore says - the majority of the lemon harvest is realized in January and the following months, while in this period of the year we are harvesting about 20% of the total production. However, demand is so high, due to the general shortage frame, that we are now finding ourself unable to answer it."

"Unbalance between demand and supply is affecting prices. If we were talking about some other fruit variety, these too high prices could be avoided simply shifting to some kind of cheaper alternative; unfortunately lemon is not a replaceable fruit."

With regard to the product quality, Salvatore underlines: "Sizes are big and our lemons have got a good juice content. As in Turkey, Sicilian trees have suffered from high temperatures, but differently than in Turkey, they have not suffered a prolonged drought, so that the fruit has developed very well".