Why the price of lemon has increased in Ecuador in recent weeks?

The price of lemon has risen significantly in markets across the country. That is one of the products that registered the most annual inflation in August 2023, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC). The price of lemon increased by 43% compared to August of last year. And that increase continues in the first half of September. In the markets of the main cities, such as Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca, merchants offer cases of 6 to 10 lemons for USD 1. Usually, for that same price they sell 25 or 50 lemons, depending on the season and size. There are three main reasons that explain the increase in the price of lemon: low local production, an increase in prices in Peru due to the El Niño Phenomenon and the effects of last winter on crops. To this can be added speculation in some local markets. Little local production This is a time of low lemon production in Ecuador, say traders in the markets of Cuenca and Guayaquil. That is the first reason why ...