When speaking to one of the major retailers in the Russian market, they confirmed that they don't have any plans to offer the green citrus fruit anytime soon. The company had tried to sell limes in the past, buying one container from Mexico via a forwarder in Holland, but said that their customers just weren't interested. They believe that part of the problem is that, customers on a budget are less likely to pay more for a product they aren't really familiar with.
"There might be good demand for limes in luxury supermarkets, but this isn't a product that sees much demand from everyday consumers."
The citrus season in Russia is winding down with the onset of spring. Oranges, mandarins, grapefruit and lemons are offered year round, but citrus is primarily seen as a fall and winter fruit. Consumers generally switch over to eating more apples and vegetables once the temperature starts to rise and this continues through to the summer.
The retailer is currently sourcing oranges from Egypt, cheaper mandarins from Pakistan, clementines from Morocco and grapefruit and lemons from Turkey. These countries are filling in the gap for grapefruit and lemons before the switch to the South African supply in May.
This season was reported to be pretty much the same as years before in terms of price and quality for most citrus, with the exception of lemons. Lemon prices are up at the moment because they are only able to buy from Turkey. There is high demand and because they are no longer able to buy from Spain and other countries due to the Russian embargo, this has had an effect on the price of the lemons coming out of Turkey. After a recent ban for many products coming out of Turkey to Russia has meant that in terms of citrus, only grapefruit and lemons are still allowed.
