Market Trends of Asia Pacific Lime Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the APAC Lime Market according to our research experts:
Increasing Production in India and China
According to FAO, the production of lime/lemon in China was 2,295.2 thousand metric ton in 2016, which increased to 2,524.3 in 2018. Similarly, the production of lime/lemon in India was 2,438.0 in 2016, which increased to 3,148.0 in 2018. Lime is cultivated in almost all parts of India. But according to the National Horticulture Board (NHB) of India, lime/lemon cultivation is high in states, such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Orissa, and Maharashtra. In China, international varieties of lime/lemons are posing a threat to the domestic lime/lemon markets. Hence, in recent years, Yunnan and Chongqing townships have started to grow local varieties that are similar in taste and appearance of imported lime/lemons, on a large scale to make the competition indistinct.
Increasing lime/lemon imports in Japan
United States, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, and South Africa are the major exporters of lime to Japan. In 2019, the United States held the largest share in the import market of lime accounting to 55.2%, followed by Chile and Mexico, respectively. The exporting countries are promoting the sale of lime/lemon in Japan through various strategies. For instance, Chile is promoting the market for the Chilean lime/lemon in the Japanese market by creating awareness about the nutritional values of the Chilean lime/lemon. Similarly in 2018, the lime growers in Hiroshima re-shaped lemons in a heart shape to increase their sales during Valentine's Day. According to a USDA report, the lime-based cocktail sector is growing as one of the significant lime consuming sectors in Japan.
