Supply, consumption of lemons and limes trending higher

Per capita consumption of lemons and limes continues to grow, U.S. Department of Agriculture numbers show.

From 2010 to 2018, per capita lemon availability grew 46%, from 2.8 pounds in 2010 to 4.1 pounds in 2018, the USDA reported.

For limes, the growth is slightly more spectacular, rising from 2.6 pounds in 2010 to 3.9 pounds in 2018, an increase of 50%.

U.S. imports of both citrus varieties have been increasing. For lemons, imports have grown from 93 million pounds in 2010 to 322 pounds in 2019, a gain of 246%. In the same time period, domestic lemon supply increased from 968 million pounds to 1.41 billion pounds, a gain of 46%.

The import share of the total U.S. lemon supply was 19% in 2019; in 2010, the import share of the total U.S. lemon supply was 9%, according to the USDA.

For limes, the USDA does not record any domestic lime production as of 2019. U.S. imports of limes have increased from about 800 million pounds in 2010 to  1.36 billion pounds in 2019, the USDA reported.

Retail trends

While holidays tend to accelerate sales, lemons and limes are staple items in the produce department, said Craig Carlson, president of Chicago-based Carlson Consulting.

Carlson said the meyer lemon has established itself in the category.

“Many retailers are using the variety and it’s used a lot in the foodservice space,” he said. “There is nice traction with that item.”

The shutdown of foodservice establishments during the pandemic cost substantial lemon and lime sales, Carlson said, since restaurant operators use smaller fruit sizes and grade 2 fruit not always used at retail.

It is a little bit harder to sell the entire lime crop with retail outlets alone, he said, particularly when bars are heavy users of sliced limes with drinks.

Retailers typically use 95s and 115s for bulk lemon displays and smaller lemon sizes for bagged fruit, Carlson said.

Organic lemons and limes are typically sold in a bag, he said.

Cross-merchandise lemons with seafood, Carlson said, and both lemons and limes can be featured alongside avocados, cilantro and tomatoes.

Because lemons and limes can be versatile elements of many recipes, they have benefited from the boom in retail demand for produce during the pandemic, said Mike Mauti, managing partner with Execulytics Consulting.

“When you look at a lot of ingredient items, you’ll see the same story; lemons and limes are kind of the perfect poster child for that idea.”

Mauti said lemons and limes can be used as part of dressings for meat and fish, along with a variety of other uses.

He said that lemons and limes have both seen an increase in the varieties offered at retail over the past 10-15 years.

In particular, the meyer lemon and the variegated pink lemon are now often featured by some retailers.

Featuring lemons in the seafood department is cross-merchandising textbook, Mauti said.

“Whenever I am talking to merchants, when it comes to talking about cross-merchandising, that is always the first go-to example,” Mauti said. “It has definitely proven its worth. Lemons in the seafood department has always been a winning strategy.”

In Canada, the top premium retail lemon size is 75s, but the more typical retail premium size is 95s, Mauti said.

Mauti said that organic lemon sales are strongest during the domestic season. “If we are getting (organic lemons) from other areas of the world, it is not as strong,” he said.