Peruvian limes have seen steady growth and benefitted from health trends during the pandemic.
They are exported year round, with the first big increase occurring in 2017 where shipments reached 6,520 tons for $6.6 million, reflecting a growth of 146 percent in volume and 141 percent in value compared to 2015.
Since then, lime exports have kept growing, driven mainly by the Tahiti variety, whose production has seen an average increase of 10 percent per year, according to Agraria.
Lime exports took another big jump in 2020 with the pandemic. It became fashionable in the world to start consuming citrus fruits and products that improve the immune system.
Thanks to this, tangerines, limes, and oranges, all grew above estimates. Lime exports reached 25,069 tons for $19.1 million, 66 percent more in volume and 45 percent more in value compared to the previous year.
In the first five months of this year, shipments of Peruvian limes have already reached 16,007 tons for $17.5 million, which means an increase of 39 percent in volume and 59 percent in value compared to the same period the previous year.
The largest shipments of Peruvian limes were driven by the U.S., the UK, and the Netherlands, which had a joint share of 58 percent.
In the first months of the year, the U.S. has positioned itself as the largest destination for Peruvian limes, with a 34 percent share.
In this market Peruvian lime shipments totaled 5,372 tons for $6.8 million, 388 percent more in volume and 380 percent more in value compared to the same period in 2021.
