“Colombia is pretty good now on volume for limes,” says Wayne Warren of Chef’s Table Produce based in Palm Beach, Fl. Chef’s Table is a fresh produce company that’s created by chefs to supply other chefs. “Last year it was about the same for limes, but like always it depends on the weather.”
Currently, the limes are coming from Bucaramanga, the capital city of the Santander region of Colombia which is the north-central region. Competition for limes, which are grown in Colombia year-round, is coming from both Mexico and Guatemala. And while there’s demand in the U.S. for limes, Warren adds that demand is also coming from Europe, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. “The Latin population who are interested in limes is one of the fastest growing populations,” says Warren.
Price pick up?
Despite the weather and logistics challenges which influence the changing market of limes, Warren notes that prices on the citrus fruit are starting to rise. “Two weeks ago prices were higher but I think they will increase with each week,” Warren says. “The prices and the market will increase because we’re coming up on Christmas and it’s the winter season in Mexico but in Colombia it’s summer for fruit production.”
To boost the longevity of its fruit, Warren says the company is working on trying to get a longer shelf-life for its limes. “We’re not breaking the cold chain and we’re going to start using the ozone treatment for the fruit but we have to test it first,” Warren says.
For more information:
Wayne Warren
Chef’s Table Produce
Tel: +1-561-289-1512
wayne@chefstableproduce.com
www.chefstableproduce.com