Mexico City.– Given the pressure that lemon producers in Michoacán are under due to extortion by organized crime groups, which has even forced them to stop activities, the kilogram of the fruit could reach 50 pesos for sale to the final consumer, anticipated the Agricultural Markets Consulting Group (GCMA).
Juan Carlos Anaya, director of GCMA, explained that because the marketing chain in general suffers from extortion by criminal groups, that is, from harvesting, transportation, and wholesale and retail trade, the end consumer sees the impact in the price they pay.
“Speculation over a lower supply could have an impact on the (current) price of 35 to 37 pesos, up to 47 to 50 pesos per kilo,” the specialist estimated in light of the stoppages in the lemon harvest in Apatzingán, Michoacán, the most important state in the national production of citrus.
According to data from the GCMA, in the first week of August, producers were paid 11.50 pesos per kilo for lemon with seeds, while final consumers paid up to 35 pesos. In the case of seedless lemon, while producers were paid 7.40 pesos, final buyers paid up to 32 pesos.
According to the GCMA, in 2023, the Apatzingán and Buenavista regions in Michoacán paid extortion fees of between 2 and 4 pesos per kilo harvested, which reflected payments of more than 3 billion pesos for the just over 500 thousand tons that were harvested in those two localities alone.
In the country, Michoacán is the main producer of lemon, with 29 percent of the national production; followed by Veracruz, which contributes 27 percent; and Colima, with 10 percent. The main variety is the Persian lemon.
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