Lemon/Lime Production and Growth in Australia (2020)

Globally, lemons and limes are produced extensively due to their extensive demands. These fruits are subtropical in nature and due to their acidic content, they are used in a variety of culinary recipes. Two of the most popular lemon variants are Eureka and Lisbon. In Australia, these fruits are grown for commercial purposes and consumed by the majority of the population. Due to emerging research, there are a few more variants that have permeated into the fresh market. Some of these variants are Allen Eureka, Eureka seedless, Eureka SL from South Africa, Genoa and Limoniera 8A.

Statistics of Lemon in Australia

Lemon is predominantly grown in Queensland. Nevertheless, due to its significant demand, a large volume of this fruit is also produced in Sunraysia. Also, quite a bit of production occurs in the Riverland areas around the border of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

As of the year 2020:

1. The supply per capita was 2.5 kg, based on the volume supplied.
2. 40% of Australians bought lemon as part of their grocery haul. Thus, purchasing an average of 259 grams per shopping trip.
3. Approximately, 71,432 tonnes of this fruit was grown and later valued at $152.3 million. Out of this total amount, 10% was used for processing; predominantly for juicing.
4. The wholesale value of the fresh supply was $180.6 million. From this total amount, $124.5 millions was distributed into the retail industry.

Major Production Areas

Even though lemons are abundantly found all across the nation, there are a few regions that are known for their production. Some of these areas are Darwin, Lismore, Riverland, Bundaberg and Burnett.

Lemons vs. Limes

In the year 2020:

• Lemons were responsible for 73% of the total production.
• Limes accounted for 27% of the fresh production.

As a net importer of lemons/limes, Australia has mostly sourced this fruit from the United States.