Lemon growers are seeing good production this year, but the market for choice lemons has been ruined by COVID-19 food-service industry losses.

“We've seen 20 to 25 percent decrease in fruit movement, and that's mainly attributable to the decline in the food-service industry,” according to Ventura County lemon grower Will Pidduck.

Ironically, it is otherwise a good year for lemons in Ventura County. “We're growing great quality fruit. The quantity is great,” said Pidduck.

However, with the coronavirus pandemic forcing the closure of restaurants, schools, cruise lines and other commercial food-service operations, the market for an entire class and size of lemon has all but vanished.

“That's a big hit,” Pidduck said. As a fourth-generation citrus grower in the Ventura area, Pidduck also grows mandarins, oranges and avocados, but is primarily a lemon grower.

“A large portion of the choice fruit goes to the food-service industry. And without that industry, it's bad. The movement has slowed dramatically on the choice fruit,” Pidduck said. “We're still moving the fancy, the higher quality fruit. But for the choice and some smaller-sized fruit, it definitely slowed way down.”

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