See photos
Piracicaba, 13 – With the maturation advance of fruits from the second flowering event, Brazilian tahiti lime supply may continue high in April. According to Cepea collaborators, both availability and quality in the first semester are forecast to be higher than in the last season.
The good development of the second flowering event is linked to favorable weather in the first months of the year (with regular rain) and on the “cleaning” of groves in February, when many fruits were harvested to be sent to processors – which, in that period, offered attractive remuneration. Besides, exportations reached record volumes in January, February and March, according to Secex data (Foreign Trade Secretariat).
According to growers, the higher number of planted trees led to estimates for higher supply in 2017. Data from the CDA (Agriculture Defense Coordination of São Paulo) indicate that, from 2013 to 2016, the number of tahiti lime trees increased 9% (from 6.79 million trees to 7.43 million).
For the second semester, however, agents consulted by Cepea expect the period of limited supply of tahiti lime to start earlier. October is usually the month when availability is the lowest, but in August supply usually decreases sharply, based on the dry weather in March and on lower moisture in the soil, typical from April to June in São Paulo State. However, if it rains in these months, the development of fruits may be favored, increasing supply.
EXPORTS – Exportations of lemon and lime were firm in the first quarter of the year, as expected by Cepea collaborators. According to data from Secex (Foreign Trade Secretariat), Brazil exported 31.46 thousand tons between January and March, 14% higher than the volume in the same period of 2016. The good performance of the international sales is due to both higher production in SP and the good quality of the Brazilian fruit.
Source: hfbrasil.org.br
