Lime Prices Edge Upward in Philadelphia Area and Elsewhere

By Hadas Kuznits

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With lime prices creeping up, some bartenders are watching their supply of the popular citrus fruit as we approach Cinco de Mayo.

Jimmy Iovine Jr., the bartender at Molly Malloy's, in the Reading Terminal Market, says with lime prices creeping up, he's worried about the cost of garnishing drinks on Cinco de Mayo (May 5th).

"A lot of the drinks that are Mexican drinks… Corona gets a lime, mojitos and margaritas and stuff like that, they all get lime juice," he notes.

At co-owned Iovine's produce stand, next door to the bar, operations manager Butch Dougherty (in photo) attributes the high lime prices to the harsh winter that ended.

"Everything in produce is just supply and demand," he tells KYW Newsradio.   "When there's a lot of abundance, then the prices will always be low.  Whenever there's a shortage, prices will go up."

Dougherty says even small limes are selling at high prices.

"And I don't think it's going to help that Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, and so many of these growers are trying to recoup some of the money that they've been losing.  So I think it's going to be a good couple weeks until you start seeing some relief."

In:
• KYW Newsradio 1060
• Environment
• Philadelphia