Spanish cooperative Limonar de Santomera, comprising small and medium-sized citrus fruit growers, has seen a 55% increase in production to achieve a turnover of €58 million in its financial year 2023-24.
Limonar de Santomera, which exports citruses throughout the European Union, registered growth of 142% in Germany in this period.
The cooperative reported sales growth of 142% in Germany, 24% in France, 70% in the Netherlands and 37% in Spain.
Limonar de Santomera's output increased by 25% in 2023-24 compared to the previous season, spanning 1,300 hectares of crops.
In the previous season, Limonar de Santomera produced 63,000 tonnes of citrus fruits, including conventional and organic.
Citrus Production
Spain is the leading citrus producer in the European Union (EU) and the sixth in the world, with an average export value of €3,100 million per season, the cooperative noted.
Limonar de Santomera has approximately 600 employees and seeks to pioneer the production of organic citrus fruits, which account for 40% of its total output.
It has dedicated 430 hectares to the cultivation of fruits, including all types of citruses, adapted to each country, market and tastes.
Health Benefits
General manager of Limonar de Santomera, Antonio José Moreno, added, "Citrus fruit is useful for preventing cardiovascular diseases and improving circulatory function, as well as providing vitamins, eliminating toxins and is a powerful bactericide, and the WHO recommends that it should be consumed regularly."
Elsewhere, Spanish cooperative Consum said in June that it increased the purchase of locally sourced stone fruit by a fifth (20%) this season to exceed 7,000 tonnes.
Consum sources a majority of its stone fruit from the Valencian Community and Catalonia. Other regions that have also contributed include Murcia, Andalusia, Extremadura and Aragon.
