The supply of limes has nearly doubled since Cinco de Mayo, especially out of Veracruz, Mexico. "However, the spike in volume is primarily in small sizes—230s, 250s, and even 275s in some cases—due to a prolonged lack of rain. This weather pattern has prevented the fruit from sizing up properly," says Tony Campos of International Citrus and Produce.
Veracruz is the main producing region for limes right now and the growing conditions there have been dry for months, which has impacted both size and quality. "The limes are showing thinner skins and lighter color," Campos says. "Unless these regions receive substantial rainfall soon, we expect further deterioration in size and quality moving into June."
Other growing regions
While Mexico dominates the U.S. lime market, limited volumes are coming from Colombia and Peru as well.
As for prices, they have softened in recent days due to the oversupply of small fruit and competition among importers in Texas. Currently, prices on 110s to 175s are higher due to the scarcity while prices on small sizes are lower due to oversupply.
Looking ahead, there are concerns that if growers continue to aggressively harvest small fruit, there's a risk of running out of volume by mid-June. "Unless rainfall picks up soon, we may see a sharp reduction in available fruit and another price increase," says Campos.
For more information:
Tony Campos
International Citrus and Produce
Tel: +1 (650) 342-4525
[email protected]
https://internationalcitrusandproduce.com/