Ailimpo: Diagnosis, Solutions, and Action Plan for Lemons.

“At Ailimpo, we propose an action plan
that would be organized around 12 initiatives with
financial and institutional support from the various
public administrations, without forgetting measure number
“zero”—adjusting the area under cultivation to restore
the proper balance between supply and demand”

 

The lemon sector in Spain faces a challenging situation that requires a thorough analysis and concrete measures for its revitalization. Ailimpo, as the sector’s representative, has conducted a detailed assessment that identifies structural and cyclical problems.

First, overproduction has created an imbalance between supply and demand, exacerbated by the increase in cultivated area in recent years. This excess production, coupled with growing phytosanitary problems, has negatively impacted producers’ profitability.

 

To address these challenges, Ailimpo proposes a comprehensive action plan:

  1. Improving the organization of the production sector: The goal is to strengthen coordination among producers to improve the sector’s efficiency and competitiveness.
  2. Reducing tax burdens: A palliative measure is proposed to alleviate the tax burden on producers in the short term.
  3. Improving the agricultural insurance system for lemons: The proposal is to improve coverage and financial support from the government to mitigate economic risks.
  4. Promoting and increasing consumption: The plan is to implement programs to promote lemon consumption with support from the EU and other entities.
  5. Retail Support and Involvement: A proposal is made to establish a working group between Ailimpo and retail chains to promote the product.
  6. Import controls and market access: It is suggested that measures be adopted at the European level to regulate imports and promote reciprocity in export protocols.
  7. Expansion of regulations: The goal is to expand current regulations to address new challenges in the sector, such as promotion, combating climate change, and pest monitoring.
  8. Promotion of lemon juice use: It is proposed to encourage the use of lemon juice as an acidulant through promotional campaigns and tax measures.
  9. Anti-dumping duties on imports: It is proposed to explore the possibility of imposing anti-dumping duties to protect domestic products from unfair competition.
  10. Implementation and promotion of Regenerative Agriculture: It is proposed to develop sustainable agricultural practices as a measure to adapt to climate change.
  11. Carbon Farming: It is suggested to explore the potential of managing lemon orchards as forests for carbon sequestration and to mitigate climate change.
  12. Improvement of Plant Health: It is proposed to establish sustainable plant health management projects to control pests and diseases efficiently.

This comprehensive action plan aims not only to address the immediate challenges facing Spain’s lemon sector, but also to lay a solid foundation for its long-term sustainability through collaboration between the private sector and public authorities.

 

You can read the full article here: Ailimpo