Tahiti lime average ist he 2nd highest for a month

Opposite to the expected by agents, tahiti lime supply has been controlled in São Paulo State, and quotes, underpinned at higher levels. The price average in April/18, at 18.61 BRL per 27-kilo box (harvested) was the second highest for the month, in nominal terms, in all Cepea series, which started in 1996 for this product – compared to March/18, that price average is 34.2 % higher.

Previously, agents expected the harvesting of the fruits from the second flowering event to increase tahiti lime availability in the in natura market in April. However, low rain volumes in the citrus belt in the first two months of the year delayed fruits development, extending their period on tree.

Purchasers have claimed difficulty to find good quality tahiti lime in the in natura market. While the amount of mature fruits is low, the new ones are still green, postponing the harvesting. In that scenario, agents fear the volume of tahiti lime may increase too much in May, which could press down quotes – purposeful harvesting delays may press down quotes as well.

As for the industrial segment, bidding prices in the spot market were around 15 BRL per 40.8-kilo box, harvested and delivered at the processor, in April, with only one plant (smaller-sized) receiving that variety.

In the international market, tahiti lime exportations have reached new records in the crop, totaling 32.25 thousand tons from January to March/18, according to Secex. Compared to the same period of the previous season, current shipments are 2.5 % higher.

For the coming weeks, however, competition with Mexico shipments is expected to increase, since supply is reduced in Brazil, but growing in Mexico. According to Fresh Plaza, the weather in Mexico has been favorable to tahiti lime production, and Mexican fruits have reached the ideal color and maturation for trading in that segment.

ORANGE – The first pear oranges from the 2018/19 crop are already available in the in natura market of São Paulo State. According to Cepea collaborators, with low supply and firm prices for this variety, harvesting has been anticipated. The higher availability of green fruits, however, has widened the price gap between the large-sized pear oranges and the small-sized ones.

As for the larger-sized fruits, prices have reached 35 BRL per 40.8-kilo box, on tree, while the small-sized fruits from the new season have been traded between 25 BRL and 28 BRL per box. Thus, in April, pear orange quotes averaged 29.83 BRL per 40.8-kilo box, 2.8 % up compared to that in March.

According to agents, the fruits available in the in natura segment have not reached the ideal maturation yet, due to the weather in the first two months of 2018, which delayed the development of some oranges from the 2018/19 season, mainly those from the second flowering event, which, in turn, opened between October and December/17. The slow maturation of these fruits is linked to the high temperatures in early 2018 and the smaller rain amount in the main citrus producing regions from SP, according to Inmet (National Institute of Meteorology in Brazil).

The larger rain volume in March, on the other hand, offset the development delay of the oranges on tree. Still, growers expect the fruits to be ready only from the second fortnight of May onward.