Mexico’s Lime Supply Disruptions Push Prices Up

Lime prices in Mexico have surged through 2025, driven by weather disruptions, security challenges in producing regions, and growing tensions across the country’s agricultural sector. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), lime prices accumulated an inflation rate of nearly 39% through May 2025, marking one of the steepest increases among food products this year.

Mexico, the world’s third-largest producer of limes and lemons, is facing renewed volatility in its citrus market. Key producing states such as Michoacan and Colima, which supply a large share of the domestic market, have been hit by a combination of organized crime, extreme weather, and falling purchase prices that have destabilized supply chains.

Since August 2024, lime packing houses in Michoacan have repeatedly halted operations due to extortion and security threats, cutting off distribution channels. Heavy rains and tropical storms have damaged crops and reduced fruit quality in western and central regions, particularly in Colima and Veracruz.

Key Events Affecting Mexico’s Lime Market

By mid-2025, retail lime prices in local markets ranged from MX$4 to MX$10 per kilogram, depending on location and grade, according to INEGI’s Precios Promedio platform and local trade reports. In Apatzingan, Michoacan, prices hovered near MX$4 per kilogram, while in Colima they reached up to MX$10 per kilogram.

The price floor has led to planned supply disruptions. Bernardo Bravo, president, Association of Citricultores del Valle de Apatzingan, confirmed that growers decided to reduce operations by 50% for a limited period, estimating that 40%-50% of lime orchards would temporarily halt activity.

The crisis is further compounded by organized crime. Raúl Zepeda Villaseñor, Michoacan’s Minister of Government, acknowledged that growers in the Tierra Caliente region are limiting harvests to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to mitigate extortion risks. The state government supports this schedule as a temporary protection measure.

Authorities reported 11 formal complaints from lime growers in 1H25, underscoring the persistence of extortion despite recent arrests.

The local price crisis and security issues in Michoacan have also aligned with the broader National Agricultural Strike. During the protests, lime producers from the Valle de Apatzingan dumped two tons of limes at the Lázaro Cárdenas monument, shouting, “They want it for free? There it is!” The demonstration, held on Oct. 14–15, 2025, protested low purchase prices, with farmers saying they preferred to discard their harvest rather than sell it at near-giveaway rates.

The national strike included road blockades in more than 20 states, disrupting logistics for key commodities such as avocado, berries, and tomatoes.

Despite a 4% increase in total citrus production for marketing year 2024–2025, reported by the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), domestic markets have seen little relief. Supply constraints, logistical bottlenecks, and broader food inflation have continued to push prices upward.

INEGI’s consumer price reports for early 2025 had already identified lime as a top contributor to food inflation. Economists note that volatility in basic goods like lime reflects structural weaknesses in Mexico’s agricultural value chain—limited financing access, poor logistics, and exposure to organized crime—rather than simple supply-and-demand fluctuations.

The Mexican government has not yet announced specific measures to stabilize the lime market or address the disruptions in Michoacán. Industry observers warn that if insecurity and weather instability persist through the year-end harvest, prices could remain elevated into 2026, potentially affecting both domestic consumption and exports.