© Carolize Jansen | FreshPlaza.com“Last week I got R260 (12.8 euros) on the municipal market for three kilograms of limes,” says a lime grower. “We’re out of season at the moment, it’s our flowering season, and there aren’t a lot of limes available at the moment.”

Right: a sprinkling of limes on a mountain of lemons in a branch of retailer Food Lover’s Market

The first of the local limes is slowly trickling in, confirms a market agent, but volumes are still very low. “We do get imports,” he says, “but barely.” During November to February, limes are imported mostly from Spain, as well as from Egypt and El Salvador. The transition period August/September is covered by Turkish and Moroccan limes, followed by Brazil, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini from May to September.

“Our growers in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo are still in production, but we’re definitely out of main season, and that’s why the limes are so expensive,” explains a retail buyer. “We are also getting some imports, but very limited. Prices will be going up again next week.”

At the Johannesburg municipal market, limes are selling for just under R60 (3 euros) per kilogram, while last week, a lime grower says, prices were as high as R260 (US$14) for a 3kg pocket.

Retailer Woolworths currently advertises a 500g bag of limes for R64.99 (3.2 euros). At a Pretoria greengrocer, a 3kg bag of limes is sold at R200 (9.9 euros) at the moment.

Not for very much longer, though, reckons the market agent. “Prices should drop probably within the next couple of weeks. An average price should be around R30 [1.48 euro] to R40 [1.98 euro] a kilo.”