Government would evaluate lemon imports to mitigate price rises

Lemon has been, in recent weeks, the product of the basic family basket that has risen the most in price. Between August 2 and September 4, its value has increased by more than S/7.50 per kilogram, which represents an increase of up to more than 167% in the Great Wholesale Market of Lima.

In this period, the subtle lemon in the bag went from S/4.56 to S/12.11 per kilogram, while the subtle lemon in the box rose from S/4.67 to S/12.50 per kilogram.

As expected, this increase has been transferred to the capital’s retail markets, where citrus is sold for up to S/16 per kg.

Yesterday La República verified that, in the Rondón de La Victoria Municipal Market, lemons were sold for S/16 per kilo; while in the García Naranjo market and in the La Aurora del Cercado de Lima market it reached S/15 per kilogram.

Likewise, in the El Bosque de San Juan de Lurigancho market and in the Limoncillo del Rímac market, it was sold at S/14 and S/10, respectively.

Alternatives to the rise

Lemon is an ingredient present in a wide variety of Peruvian dishes, ranging from salads to seafood stews such as ceviche. Its presence in these preparations highlights its great relevance in the daily life of families.

Faced with this, Eduardo Zegarra, a Grade researcher, stressed that lemon is a difficult product to replace, and therefore emphasized the importance of managing scarcity properly.

“You have to assess the importance of lemon in terms of gastronomy and the needs of the population to determine if there is a role to play in public policy. We should explore ways to smooth out price fluctuations, rationalize consumption and guarantee at least a minimum access to lemon for the population”, he commented.

For his part, the head of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Alex Contreras, suggested that seafood restaurants and other gastronomic businesses prepare dishes such as “jumped chicken, seafood rice or some squid offer” to replace ceviche.

Meanwhile, the Peruvian Association of Consumers and Users (Aspec) urged the Executive Power to create a high-level group to determine what are the causes of the increase in prices of products such as lemons and onions.

According to the union, these increases appear concerted and would imply an abuse of economic power to the detriment of consumers. In addition, this committee would have to examine whether there is speculation, a crime contemplated in the Penal Code.

Import as an alternative

Lemon is a crop that is sown and harvested all year round, mainly in the north of the country. However, during the first months of 2023, this area has experienced excessive rainfall that caused the flowers to fall on the lemon trees, resulting in a lack of production at present, said Amaximandro Rojas, president of Conveagro.

In this context, Minister Contreras indicated that the Government would be evaluating the possibility of increasing citrus imports to increase the supply.

“The proposal must be coordinated with Midagri. If we can import a little more (or) some incentive for production to return ”, he commented to a local media.

Eduardo Zegarra pointed out that the importation of this fruit is unusual and questionable because there are no countries that produce lemons with similar characteristics to the Peruvian one.

For his part, Amaximandro Rojas stressed that the measure could help consumers, but would harm small local producers.

Chicken and eggs continue to decline in Lima

The Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri) reported that, for the second week in a row, the price of chicken and eggs continue to decline in wholesale markets.

A kilo of chicken was sold at S/5.55 as the maximum value and S/5.35 as the minimum price in live bird distribution centers.

While the eggs were sold at S/9.00 and S/8.50 per kilogram as maximum and minimum prices, respectively.

In retail markets, chicken ranged between S/7.50 and S/9 per kilogram.

In the capital, around 1,865 tons of chicken were sold.

The word

Alex Contreras, Minister of Economy and Finance.

“The proposal must be coordinated with the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation. If we can import a little more (or) some incentive for the production (of lemon) to return”.