Mexico primarily supplies Persian limes to the US, accounting for 92.6% of imports (622,479 tons) in 2022, a decrease from 97.5% in 2020. Meanwhile, Colombia has increased its share from 1.8% in 2020 to 5.2% in 2022. Peru also contributes but to a lesser extent. Countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, etc., ship limes in minimal volumes. With no domestic production, the United States relies heavily on imports.
USDA reports prices for conventional Persian limes in 40 lb packages crossing from Mexico via Texas. Recent years have witnessed prices surge in February, March and April, with 2022 prices nearly doubling 2021’s.
In March 2022, prices reached $74.40 versus $42.16 in 2021. Prices revert to their regular levels during the year’s second half, coinciding with the Mexican harvest season.
Lime production and exports in Mexico
In 2022, Mexico produced 3,101,099 tons of limes, a 5.0% increase over 2021 (2,954,431 tons). The leading states for production were Veracruz (27.7%), Michoacán (27.6%), and Colima (10.0%). Michoacán led in terms of harvested area with 54,160 hectares and a yield of 15.8 tons per hectare.
Source: producepay.com
