In mid-June 2025, EastFruit reported on record-high prices for locally grown lemons in Uzbekistan and the reasons behind this price surge. At that time, Meyer lemons, the primary variety consumed by Uzbekistan’s population, were sold in capital city supermarkets at a retail price of 70,000 sum per kilogram ($5.53), nearly a third higher than the price of imported lemons.
Over the following month, prices for these local lemons continued to break records, rising by almost 40%. According to EastFruit specialists, as of July 10-11, 2025, retail prices for locally produced Meyer lemons in capital city supermarkets reached 97,000 sum per kilogram, equivalent to $7.67 per kilogram! The psychological barrier of 100,000 sum per kilogram is now very close.
Meanwhile, retail prices for imported lemons remained unchanged during this period. For instance, fresh yellow lemons imported from distant Argentina are still priced at 53,000 sum per kilogram ($4.19), the same as a month ago. As a result, local lemons are now sold at nearly double the price of their imported counterparts, although these are, admittedly, quite different products.
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According to EastFruit analysts, the exceptionally high price of THE local lemons despite the availability of significantly cheaper imported alternatives confirms that Uzbek consumers view these as entirely different products, not interchangeable. Given that Meyer lemon stocks in Uzbekistan are nearly depleted, the few fortunate sellers who have preserved these fruits until July stand to make substantial profits.
It’s worth noting that Meyer lemons have been gaining increasing popularity in premium markets in recent years, with Uzbekistan recently starting exports to Japan. The first harvest of local lemons in Uzbekistan is expected in August-September. However, this is unlikely to bring prices down to affordable levels, as the early harvest of this lemon variety is typically relatively small. Analysts at EastFruit conclude that the local lemons will likely remain in the “limited edition” price segment until the main harvest begins in October-November.
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