Second crop of tahiti lime in Brazil; quotes drop

After decreasing in the first fortnight of March, tahiti lime supply increased in the second half of the month in São Paulo State. Although the crop peak has already finished, harvesting of the fruits from the second flowering event increased the volume available in the in natura market. According to agents consulted by Cepea, this second crop had a satisfactory development, due to humid weather in the first months of the year, but supply should not surpass that in the first bimester.

Cepea collaborators estimate the second crop harvesting to step up in April, since the maturation stage of the fruits allowed them to stay on trees last month. Thus, farmers slowed down the harvesting pace in order to avoid significant price losses.

In April, therefore, higher availability may press down quotes if the demand from processors, which was firm in the first quarter of the year, starts to move down. So far, purchases from processors have controlled supply in the in natura market. In March, the average tahiti lime price, at 13.86 BRL per 27-kilo box, harvested, was 2.7% above that in February, crop peak period in São Paulo.

Exportations

Tahiti lime shipments were slow in March, according to exporters. Besides the low price levels in the international market, record amounts of the fruit were sent to the European Union in the first bimester, according to Secex.
In the first two months of 2018, exportations totaled 20.9 thousand tons, 14.3% higher than in the same period last crop and a record for the season, according to Secex. In March, however, the cold weather in Europe (the world’s biggest tahiti lime importer) weakened consumption.

Brazilian market

Low supply of good quality fruits pushed up quotes of early pear oranges, as well as of late oranges, from the 2017/18 season – scenario observed since the second fortnight of February. In March, pear orange prices averaged 29.02 BRL per 40.8-kilo box, on tree, 28.9% up compared to that in February.