market for limes in Russia continues to develop, with the fruit now having shelf place in most supermarkets in Russia. However, Andrey Volkov from Tropic International, stressed that quality issues with received shipments have been making the citrus fruit difficult to sell."Green limes sell very well in Russia, but many suppliers see Russia as a secondary market and often times the limes that we receive have a yellow blush. For example, we had to throw away 3 to 4 pallets worth of limes from one container shipment we received last week because the limes were overripe. We tried to send them out to wholesalers and small kiosks and they were rejected because everyone knows here that limes are supposed to be green and not yellow. In the end we were forced to just throw them away, all because of a mistake from the supplier. The goods are all prepaid in advance and I think that some suppliers take advantage of this and just send product regardless of the quality." shared Andrey.
"When the limes are green and have good quality, we have absolutely no problem selling them. Many retailers include the limes as a part of their offering of tropical fruits, alongside mangos, pineapple and avocados. It provides something different, outside of the traditional offering of white cabbage, potatoes and carrots.
Andrey said that he really thinks that limes have a future in the Russian market. Limes have now made it into the kitchen as consumers have become more familiar with the citrus, despite them being a little bit more expensive, people are starting to use limes instead of lemons for traditional dishes to give their food a more unique flavour. Of course, they are also popular in long drinks in clubs and discotheques, but cooking remains the most common use in Russia for those who can afford it.
Russia has year round supply of lemons, which have peak consumption during the winter season, because of the citrus being a traditional and natural way of fighting the flu and colds. Lime demand is not affected by the seasons and prices remain stable throughout the year. The current selling price for limes in Russia is €1.90 per kilo.
For more information:
Andrey Volkov
Tropic International
Tel: +34 605 757 727
Email: andreyvolkov1968@gmail.com
www.tropic-group.ru