What’s happened to the lemons? A sour problem for Croatia

Croatia is currently facing an unexpected shortage of lemons, leaving markets and shops with limited stock and higher prices.

With most lemons now being imported from Turkey, Spain, and Argentina, domestic producers struggle to meet demand. This shortage has caused concern among consumers and vendors alike, as the price of this popular fruit continues to rise, and the situation is expected to persist for the coming weeks.

It was busy on Saturday at the Dolac market in Zagreb and the selection of produce is varied, but lemons were notably absent – a common sight this time of year as harvest is awaited.

However, sellers say they’ve never seen it this bad.

“You know, around every July or August prices go up, there’s always a bit of a crisis, but this year especially – there are hardly any lemons,” a market vendor told Dnevnik Nove TV.

Most of the lemons we eat come from Turkey, but they’re still on hold as the harvest hasn’t begun. The lemons currently available are from South America, but they are expensive, even for the vendors.

“The reason we don’t have lemons here is because the wholesale cost is too high, between €2.60 and €3.20. How can we sell them for three euros? People can’t afford that,” explained another vendor.

It’s estimated that this shortage will last for another month.

Currently, only two stalls at Dolac are selling lemons, imported from Argentina, priced at three euros per kilogram. In about 20 days, supplies from Turkey and Spain are expected, which should boost availability and lower prices.

There are not many lemon producers in Croatia. Lemons only thrive in certain micro-locations, such as the Neretva Valley.

“This is why there’s no Croatian lemon on our markets. The lemons being sold now are all imported. Clearly, some disruptions have occurred in global markets, and it’s something we can’t control,” explained lemon producer Pavo Delija.

Although the price isn’t finalised, it’s expected that lemons will be sold at around three euros per kilogram. Croatian producers find it difficult to compete with those from Turkey and Spain, as they can store and sell their lemons all year round, while Croatia lacks the facilities to preserve lemons for long periods.