The prices and demand for limes in Europe are both currently high while Brazil is in its low season with limited supplies to meet the demand. Brazil is experiencing good winter weather with sufficient rains that has seen good flowering of lime trees, which point to a good coming lime season later this year. According to Luiz Eduardo Raffaelli, from the Brazilian exporter Be Fruit they are now in the low season for Brazil’s Tahiti limes.
“We are now in our low season, the volumes are decreasing. For the next two months we’ll see very slow volumes. We will see production increasing again from November-December. We are in the dry season now. We had quick but good rain this winter, in the summer especially in the Southern part of Brazil, winter is the dry season and summer the rainy season. We had a little bit of rain, which came at a very good time to aid quality. The volume is probably coming at the regular time this year at the end of December to January. The peak will be at that time more in January. The trees are flowering now, we need to see what happens in the next few weeks. The weather forecast predicts good things for us, but let’s see what happens.”
Raffaelli says it is a bit ironic that the price and demand for limes is currently increasing in Europe while they have little supply available at the moment. “Now that it is summer prices in Europe are higher, but Brazil has lower supply. The demand is also higher, people really want fresh volume, but we don’t have that volume available for export at this time.”
He says they are also looking forward to gaining market access for Brazilian limes to China, after table grapes, which are currently in the process. This may take another year or more, but remains an exciting prospect for Brazil’s lime industry. For now, Be Fruit will continue to supply Europe with the limes all year round, albeit with lower volumes during this time says Raffaelli.
For more information:
Luiz Eduardo Raffaelli
Be Fruit
Tel: +55 11 3373 7337
Email: leduardo@befruit.com.br
www.befruit.com.br