Tuesday March 8th, 2022

On March 20th, Spring begins in Europe. Now the snow is starting to melt and the temperatures are a bit less cold. According to the experts, the season is one of the best to travel and to enjoy the beautiful landscapes. Between the months of March and June the fields are greener, the trees blossom and the landscape is more enlightened.

The climate favors the consumption of citrus and refreshing fruit, such as the case of the Brazilian lime. Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Greece consume high volumes of Italian lemon, widely used mainly in the culinary. Differently, the lime is much more used in the preparation of drinks, cocktails and juices. As consumers are all the time looking for innovations, the Brazilian lime has already been introduced to new markets, expanding its use for the preparation of salty and sweet recipes, mainly those traditionally known as exotic food.

After the coronavirus pandemic, it was possible to see an incredible increase on the search for food products rich in vitamin C. According to information from the Center of Advanced Studies in Applied Economics (Cepea – Brasil), the lime, is each time more desired, and the fruit represents 98% of the Brazilian citrus shipments abroad. Lime is the third product of the Brazilian fruit exports and almost all volume has been shipped “in-natura”. Currently, Brazil produces around 40% of the lime volume consumed in the world.

The Lemon History

It is possible to find many reports saying that the Romans already knew the lemon, using it as a medication, even before the fruit was widely outreached by the Arabs. On the other hand, some sources say that the lemon was only introduced into Europe with the first Roman navigations when going to East Indies.

Another origin known for the Tahiti Lime (Citrus latifolia) is that specie has been cultivated since last century in California, USA. It has been also admitted that its introduction into the USA took place through seeds of fruist imported from Tahiti, explaining the origin of its name.

In Brazil, ‘Tahiti’ Lime is one of the citrus species of greatest commercial importance, estimating that its planted area currently exceeds 50 thousand hectares. The State of São Paulo is the main national producer, contributing with almost 70% of the total production.

In 2020, the production reached more than 1.5 million tons and exports added 120 thousand tons and a revenue of 101 million dollars. The European Union countries, the United Kingdom and Russia are the main destinations for these exports.

In case you would like to take the Brazilian lime for imports, get in touch with us:
https://frutasdobrasil.org/pb/exportadores/