Citriculture can be characterized as one of the main agricultural activities in the world, which includes, in addition to oranges, the planting of fruits such as mandarins, acid limes and lemons. Citrus farming was introduced by the Portuguese in the states of São Paulo and Bahia shortly after the Brazilian colonization and currently plays a leading role in the world in Brazil, directly and indirectly generating thousands of jobs in the rural area, promoting economic growth and the production of 30% of all fruit of the world, according to 2019 data from the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil.
The third most exported fruit in Brazil
Based on this, it is worth noting that in the present Brazil there are approximately 1.44 million rural establishments producing between mandarins, oranges and lemons. These being responsible for the production of a gross value of R$14.8 billion in 2019. Among these, it is necessary to highlight the production of lemon, as it is characterized as being the third most exported fruit in Brazil in terms of revenue, accounting for about 55 % of domestic shipments and ensuring the return of US$ 104,617 million to the country in 2019, according to data from the São Paulo Investment Promotion and Competitiveness Agency.
Source of countless vitamins and origin of many products
This intense search is due among several factors thanks to its high content of vitamin C, which has great relevance for various metabolic processes in the body and because it can have numerous ways of use. A situation that can be noticed in the production of products such as juices, oils, fibers, flour and many other compounds that are extracted from all parts of the lemon, that is, bagasse, peel and seed.
Currently, it is estimated that there are approximately 100 species of lemons around the world and although Galego and Tahiti are acid limes, they are the most known and consumed, which makes them one of the most commercially important acidic fruits in Brazil and in the international market. As the European Union is the main destination for the Brazilian Tahiti lemon and it is possible to observe an ascending growth in this market.
Consolidated and expanding market
This situation can be observed, for example, in the fact that, according to the projection made by the Brazilian Association of Exporters of Fruits and Derivatives (Abrafutas), the export of melon, mango, grapes and Tahiti lemon to Asia and the Middle East has tendency to increase in 2021. Considering that, in 2020, it was possible to notice a growth of 2.8% in exports between January and October in relation to the same period of 2019 and being exported, in this way, 105,426 tons of lemon and lime.
Importance of an international consultancy
However, for this scenario to actually become a reality and for producers and traders to have more reliable and assertive results, it is necessary to have the assistance of strategic planning and market research, which are the work and the objective of a consultancy. This preparation will consequently make the export of lemons grow and become one of the most profitable trades for the Brazilian economy and for its businessmen.
By Julia Zahary on 02/11/2021
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