June has arrived along with a great challenge for the agricultural sector in Yucatan due to the prolonged dry season.
While merchants at the Lucas de Gálvez market have observed a worrying trend with the price of lemons that has remained between 13 and 20 pesos per kilo, the quality of the product has decreased considerably, as lemons are arriving small and in some cases, dry.
Farmers are facing a lack of rain, which prevents lemons from growing to their normal size, as a result, boxes of lemons that are sold at 140 pesos for 18 kilos, contain smaller fruits and despite the low price, quality remains an issue.
Merchants at Lucas de Galvez shared their concern about the current situation, however, many mentioned that it is impossible to raise the price a little because of the size, this reality forces them to lower prices, but also to face a product quality that does not fully satisfy consumer expectations.
The situation is similar in Mérida’s (more expensive) supermarkets, although with some variations in the size of the product.
At local supermarkets, the seedless lemon, which is smaller and has green spots, is sold at 38.90 pesos per kilo, while the lemon with seeds is sold at 27 pesos per kilo. The contrast in price and quality is evident.
TYT Newsroom
