Argentina’s 2024/25 lemon production is estimated to fall 10% from last year, continuing a three-year trend of decline totaling 500,000 metric tons (MT), according to estimates from the Obispo Colombres Agroindustrial Experimental Station (EEAOC), an industry group supporting citrus in the Tucumán province of Argentina.
The cause of this decline is attributed to low international prices, which have driven a significant reduction in acreage and contributed to what has been reported as an “unprecedented” industry crisis. In Tucumán, 9,330 hectares show signs of neglect, and 2,000 hectares were eradicated in the past year. Tucumán accounts for 80% of Argentina’s lemon-growing area, highlighting the national impact of the region’s challenges.
The Northwest region’s crop is forecast at 1.46 million MT, with 1.23 million from Tucumán and 230,000 from Salta and Jujuy. Production issues include poor weather conditions, underinvestment in farm inputs and labor, and limited yield from aging orchards. Nearly a third of farms planted trees over 20 years old.
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