Weather-related issues in Mexico are likely to cause sharp price increases in the European market, according to a U.K. importer. 

Tropical storm Earl hit Mexico earlier in August, followed by another storm affecting the major lime-growing region of Veracruz.

Lime shipments into the European Union (EU) are already far down on normal levels, and a representative of British company Jacana Produce said the situation was unlikely to improve in the short-term.

"It started with tropical storm Earl, and then more adverse weather started this week - more storms and heavy rains. So it looks like it’s going to continue," head of sales and marketing Mark Stuart told www.freshfruitportal.com.

"The price increases will be staggered, so it will start to increase slightly and then over the next couple of weeks it should shoot up quite significantly, as there will be less product in the market."

Along with slowing down harvesting, Stuart said the wet weather increased the probability of limes becoming infected with rot and oleocelosis.

He said there should typically be approximately 120-130 containers of limes arriving in the EU on a weekly basis at this time of year, but the figure currently only stood at around 80.

Brazil, another major supplier of limes to Europe, is also facing problems of its own due to severe droughts in much of the country, but Stuart said volumes out of Mexico were normally much more significant during the current period.

"At this time of the year we’re predominantly working in from Mexico," he said.

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www.freshfruitportal.com