Clash between Brazil and Mexico leads to lime price drops

"We are going through a period in which, despite the higher demand, the clash between Brazil and Mexico, with large volumes available, is driving prices to lower levels than usual for this time," explains Daniel Briso, of the Brazilian exporter ARGOFRUTA.

Prices are not satisfactory either for Mexican exporters, who have been subject to very noteworthy price fluctuations so far this year.

"In Europe, Brazil still has some presence, while in previous years at this time there was almost no Brazilian fruit. This is one of the factors that is negatively affecting prices," points out Carlos Zarain, general manager of Exquisita, Mexican company based in Puebla devoted, among other products, to the cultivation of Persian limes.

As Daniel Briso explains, Brazilian volumes usually start dropping in June coinciding with the end of the campaign, while those of Mexico tend to be smaller, "but this year the Mexican production has been greater and rains have also allowed us to have more volumes, which we estimate will give us a significant presence in the European market at least until late August."