The Lime Shortage is Over - Prices are Plummeting

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/05/19/313020751/with-cartel-on-the-run-mexican-lime-farmers-keep-more-of-the-green

*Better weather and a bountiful spring crop in the state of Veracruz have supplies back to normal.

Fernandez thumbs through another box of limes. He tells the driver he'll give him 80 pesos — about six bucks for the whole 40-pound box. He says just a month or two ago he was paying these guys as much as $35 a box.

Prices in the U.S. are dropping, too. Last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture said consumers paid on average 30 cents a lime, compared with 90 a few months ago.

Michoacan farmers aren't complaining about the precipitous price drop, though; most are still enjoying their record profits. But the biggest boon to them is that for the first time in a decade, many say they are no longer at the mercy of Mexico's ruthless drug cartels.

For more than 10 years, every part of the lime business was controlled by one drug gang or another. The last few seasons have been controlled by the Knights Templar cartel, says buyer and farm manager Efrain Hernandez Vazquez.

"You'd make the money and they would take it, they charged so-called taxes, quotas on everything," says Hernandez. The drug gang told farmers where and when they could sell their crops and — most important — at what price. He estimates he paid about $2,000 a week, or 10 percent of his sales, to the Knights Templar.

But since a federal police crackdown in the state and the emergence of civilian militias, the cartel has been on the run. Several top leaders have been either killed or arrested, and three mayors and a former governor of Michoacan have been arrested on charges of colluding with organized crime.*

“All roads lead to rum.” ~ W.C. Fields

[ Edited by: Oxybeles 2014-05-20 14:46 ]

Good for the farmers & good for us!

"But since a federal police crackdown in the state and the emergence of civilian militias"

Civilian militia, I wonder how that works out in a country where citizens are not allowed to own guns? Good news nonehteless, I noticed lime prices were dropping.

This was the happy scene in my neighborhood a couple of weeks ago. Happy days are here again!

On 2014-05-20 11:21, MadDogMike wrote:
"But since a federal police crackdown in the state and the emergence of civilian militias"

Civilian militia, I wonder how that works out in a country where citizens are not allowed to own guns? Good news nonehteless, I noticed lime prices were dropping.

The government is giving them guns: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/mexican-vigilantes-new-guns-uniforms-government-deadline-join-arrested-article-1.1787500

Good to know, thanks Tacky. Spent a couple of weeks in Michoacan 2 years ago. It was beautiful country but a bit nerve-wracking with all the cartel activity in the news.

Have I been waiting for this! The supply hasn't hit my area yet, but I'll be ready when it does!

Yay! Kill those gang members and get me my limes!!! Just kidding, I don't need any blood limes unless they are blood orange/lime hybrids :)

I am happy that are limes are cost effective again. The last time I bought them they were more than avocados!

Great news! Now I can use the bottled stuff I stockpiled for an extra-large batch of Grog this Memorial Day

sadly if mexico legalized drugs or allowed people to buy guns the cartel problem would be fixed.i doubt a handful of people calling themself a militia who have never shot a gun in there life will fix anything

Best news I've gotten all week!!

Yippee! A couple of weeks ago, they were 49¢ each. Today:

Huzzah!

I guess it hasn't hit my area yet . . . both my local supermarkets had limes today at 2/ $1.69!

GentleHangman - you may just need to find a different store. Limes are still .79 each at the local Whole Foods, but they're just a few cents each just a mile away at the smaller bodegas. Good luck hunting!

Thanks Humuhumu, but I don't have but two choices here.... it's either a Publix or a Winn-Dixie and I check both of them out today and they were both priced the same. I'll just have to wait it out until the information and supply hits this area.

Uggh...my big box supermarket here still have them for .97 cents each. I'll be shopping around in the meantime. Good to hear that prices are returning to normal in some corners of the continent.

On 2014-05-23 16:37, GentleHangman wrote:
Thanks Humuhumu, but I don't have but two choices here.... it's either a Publix or a Winn-Dixie and I check both of them out today and they were both priced the same. I'll just have to wait it out until the information and supply hits this area.

GentleHangman:

Not sure where in Stuart you live, but there is a Save-A-Lot at the crossroads of Monterey and Kanter (or Colorado....not sure where it changes names), they might be cheaper there.

howlinowl

limes are never a great buy in the grocery stores here anyhow- 4 for a dollar at best when they're on sale...

You're correct howlinowl, the limes were a cheaper at the Save-A-Lot . . . 3/$1.99. Nothing here in Florida happens as quickly as it does in California . . . we're always on a 'delayed reaction'. No matter, I'm well-stocked with Organic Lime juice so I'll survive.

I bet you feel more like you do now now than you did when you came in.

GENT

[ Edited by: GentleHangman 2014-05-24 10:23 ]

Yeah, I still have a bottle of lime juice left, so I haven't checked here in SW Port St. Lucie. I do have a Wally Stupid Center (Walmart) and a Bravo within driving distance. Wally's produce leaves quite a bit to be desired (gotten rotten pinapples, apples.....don't ask about the papaya...picked one up and it let loose a swarm of fruit flies. Bravo's usually better quality and many times beats Wally's prices. Publix and Winn-Dixie quality is first rate, but at a premium price.

howlinowl