On hot days like we've been having recently, there's nothing more refreshing than a tall, cold glass of lime juice. But, good luck finding that nowadays because limes are scarce, and the ones you can afford are tiny and bitter. Monica Bodden went to the market today to find out why:..
Monica Bodden reporting
The price of lime has climbed to an all-time high - we were told due to the damage of crops.
Maria Cowo - Market Vendor
"Right now because of the rains the lime got scarce, so when it comes in it comes expensive, so we have to sell it at least for 75 cents for one and we buy wholesale $55 per hundred. That why we have to sell it expensive because there is no lime."
And at the local market the price of lime varies like everything else - It all depends of the size of the item.
Take for example this lime I'm holding in my hand - this size is sold for a dollar. The medium size lime next to it is sold for 75 cents. And then there is this smaller one, the size of a plum - these go for 50 cents.
Maria Cowo - Market Vendor
"Right now I have 2 for a dollar, 3 for a dollar and 75 cents for one."
This market vendor explains - on every 75 cents purchased for a lime, he makes 15 cents off it. That's roughly a 20% profit - which is pretty decent for a lime sale.
Jose Valasquez - Market Vendor
"People grumble because we sell expensive, but we buy at an expensive price. We buy for $65 per hundred limes - we have to sell for 75 cents each to make 10-15 cents from one - that's why we sell at that price. People think it's us who raise the price, but it's not that - they come expensive, we sell expensive because it is scarce."
And these Jamaican limes would normally go 8 to sometimes a dozen for a dollar - but with the shortage, it's 2 limes for the four shillings.
Maria Cowo - Market Vendor
"You see right now, you go all over the market and you can't find Jamaican limes - even if you find, they are 50 cents for one, when it was 6-7 limes per dollar."
And when it isn't scare, a dollar can get you up to 10 limes.
Jose Valasquez - Market Vendor
"When it's not scarce we sell it 8-10 per dollar. But right now because it is scarce its 75 cents for one and the small ones are 3 per dollar."
Monica Bodden
"Is this something normal? As a vender I am guessing for many years - have you seen this before lime shortage?"
Jose Valasquez - Market Vendor
"This never happen before. It didn't reach so high, but this time it is very scarce."
Email
Print