Volumes of Persian limes out of Mexico are comparable to last year’s volume.
“The supply of limes is enough to cover the demand,” says Motaz Hassan of Calgary, Canada-based Empire Traders Inc. Empire has packinghouses in both Martinez De La Torre and Tijuana, Mexico.
He adds that at the moment, both Sinaloa and Jalisco, Mexico have shorter supplies but will be getting into new crop in June. At the same time, he adds that the Tabasco area is quite short. “The southern states of Tabasco and Oaxaca haven’t had any rain. In case they don’t get any more, the quality will not be good enough for product to go to USA,” he says, adding though that they could be categorized as second-grade quality limes. “For May, Veracruz state, Martinez de la Torre area and Cuitlahuac have enough to cover the demand that we usually have by that month,” adds Hassan.
Shift in orders
As for demand, Empire Traders distributes product to the US and throughout Canada. “Right now, foodservice distributors are closed and some of the wholesalers are placing orders but it’s with less volume because of the uncertainty of demand,” says Hassan.
Meanwhile on pricing, compared to a few weeks ago, pricing is not surprisingly, lower on Persian limes. Hassan says he believes prices will stabilize thanks to ads the week of May 5th. “After that, the demand will be key in holding the price.” He notes that while supplies can cover the demand, he hopes demand improves as the idea of the lockdown ending becomes closer to a reality.
For more information:
Motaz Hassan
Empire Traders Inc.
Tel: +1 ( 403) 668-0842
motaz@empiretraders.ca
www.empiretraders.ca