Fairtrasa Holland is fully active in selling organic limes at the moment. "We are importing organic limes from Mexico all year round. The cultivation in collaboration with our growers sets us apart from other European suppliers of organic limes," says Efrain Saucedo. "The demand for organic limes is unbelievably good at the moment. More and more retailers in Europe are adding them into their assortment. Germany is our largest sales market, but sales to Scandinavia are also growing fast."
Mojitos
"In fact, the demand for limes is too big at the moment. The production isn't big enough to meet the demand, despite our Mexican production locations having been extended by 50 hectares again this year. I spend around two hours a week distributing. We are sold out until week 36. This Summery weather means a lot of people want Mojito's and other drinks containing limes. We can see this in the demand for limes."
Climate change
According to Efrain the results of the change in climate in Mexico can be seen in the product supply. "Last year the season started later, but we continued much longer. We didn't receive larger volumes of organic limes until the end of June this year. Our growers will continue to send a lot of product until November this year and after that it will only be one container a week. Three years ago the season would be finished around the end of September / beginning of October."
Fairtrasa also grows organic limes in Brazil, but they are mainly intended for the local market. "Fairtrasa started a production office in Brazil this year. The problem is that the organic limes in Brazil have to be treated for export according to EU rules, which means they are no longer organic," Efrain explains. "But the domestic market is growing quickly and this means there is enough demand."
Fairtrasa works with fixed varieties of limes per country. "In Mexico the Persian lime is the most well known. In Brazil we work with the variety Tahiti and in Peru the Key Lime is on the rise. This is a slightly smaller lime with a sourer taste, but this variety hasn't really been accepted yet in Europe. The Peruvian climate is good for lime production, so we are trying to bring this lime onto the European market. Recently we sold some volumes in collaboration with our partner company in England."
Fairtrasa works with fixed varieties of limes per country. "In Mexico the Persian lime is the most well known. In Brazil we work with the variety Tahiti and in Peru the Key Lime is on the rise. This is a slightly smaller lime with a sourer taste, but this variety hasn't really been accepted yet in Europe. The Peruvian climate is good for lime production, so we are trying to bring this lime onto the European market. Recently we sold some volumes in collaboration with our partner company in England."
Own brand
Besides limes, Fairtrasa is expecting more organic and fair trade imported fruit. "The grapefruit season has started in Mexico and we are receiving the first containers of them on Friday. We have also started loading ginger in Peru and will receive the first Chilean lemons of our own cultivation in week 34, followed by Mexican avocados in week 35. Every week we receive organic fair trade bananas from Peru. All products are marketed under our own Fairtrasa brand."
For more information:
Fairtrasa Holland Ltd.
ABC Westland 212
2685 DC Poeldijk
Holland
Tel: +31 174 291 600
[email protected]
www.fairtrasa.com
