Rain in Veracruz causes shortage of smaller lime sizes

The market price of limes has risen in recent weeks due to cooler weather and rain in the Veracruz growing region in Mexico. The wet weather has also caused a shortage of smaller sizes, and with recent rains, the tendency will be for a continued period of larger sized fruit.

"The season has seen quite a lot of rain and cooler weather", said Alejandro Guerrero, of Inverafrut, based in Texas. "Our Persian limes are sourced from Veracruz which has experienced a generally wet last few months. With such amounts of rain, we are seeing more of the larger sized fruit, the 110s, 150s, etc. As a result, the demand and price for small fruit, including 200s, 230s and 250s has increased. We still are carrying all sizes, but for every 1 box of 250s, we receive about 4 110s. Also, quality remains high."

Current prices for a 40lb box of larger sized limes are sitting in the mid $20s, while smaller sized fruit is tending to the higher $20s.

Quality checks of produce are vital to ensure customers receive fruit that is appealing and free of defects. This naturally leads to better sales results and it's no different in the lime category. Guerrero said that Inverafrut have established a solid quality control system that ensures the best quality limes for their customers. 

"We source from local growers in Martínez de la Torre in Veracruz," he exclaimed. "From the fields, the limes get sent to our packinghouse located in the region, which is where the first quality check takes place. From there, the fruit is shipped to McAllen in Texas to our distribution center. Here, the fruit undergoes another round of quality checks to ensure the customer receives the best fruit with no defects. This is especially useful when we have situations such as additional rainfall and the fruit is at extra risk of decay. From the distribution center, the fruit then travels to customers as far as Canada, New York and Chicago."

Guerrero also added that having certifications makes doing business much easier, as they said it gives customers an assurance that they are dealing with a trusted company with values that focus on quality and community. "Inverafrut have certification that include Primus Lab, Global GAP, as well as Fair Trade," he said. "This helps a lot when we are promoting our fruit to customers, as it demonstrates our company values of quality produce from local growers."

Inverafrut export some of their fruit to Europe and as a result, are excited to be attending Fruit Logistica in Berlin. "At Fruit Logistica, we are going to have our main product that we handle in Europe, which are the Persian Limes," Guerrero said. "We will also be displaying other products that are available to our European customers, including Avocados, Mangoes, and Guacamole."

You will be able to find Inverafrut at Hall 25, Stand A-05.

For more information:

Alejandro Guerrero

Tel: +1 (956) 929-3901