JUPITER, FL - Being the middle of a hot summer, consumers might have citrus on their mind. In fact, recent data has shown a rise in United States lime imports have increased 69.5 percent since 2020. Farm Direct Partners (FDP) has recently appointed two key executives, Jackie Carrillo and Dan Acevedo, to lead the charge in advancing growth in the imported lime category as the company seeks to expand its sourcing capabilities and add new regions of production.

“What we’ve seen in the lime space is truly incredible,” said Dax Cooke, Head of Sales. “The push for origin diversification has grown tremendously. There’s a widespread understanding in the market that new regions of production need to be integrated into the supply chain. Our customers have been able to increase their unit sales significantly by diversifying their sourcing strategies to include lime from South America. To continue this momentum, we’ve added new key executives.”

FDP brings fresh limes from subsidiaries in Colombia, Peru, and elsewhere, and has seen exponential growth over the past few years with this diversification.

“Jackie has been both the largest buyer of limes in the world during her time as sourcing manager for Walmart and one of the largest sellers of limes during her time at Sicar Farms,” added Cooke. “By leveraging Jackie’s category knowledge, we will be able to improve pricing for our customers by placing the right fruit with the right clients."

FDP, a multi-origin grower, packer, and distributor exists to provide much-needed origin diversification in the lime space, a release stated.

“It’s very exciting to be joining this team,” said Jackie Carrillo, Executive Vice President of Sales. “Farm Direct Partners is at the forefront of an industry-wide evolution. While Mexico will continue to be a key supplier for the U.S. market, maintaining security of supply will require a multi-origin approach. With Farm Direct Partners, my goal is to continue to work to reduce price volatility and improve stability for customers.”

The company offers seedless limes and key limes, as well as organics from Colombia, Peru, and more.

“Dan has extensive experience with developing new-origin products into national and regional programs,” explained Cooke. “Dan will be spearheading our business development and national marketing programs, leveraging his knowledge of retail, foodservice, and wholesale markets across North America to allow us to better serve customers and improve pricing.”

For years, FDP’s mission has been to build a more cost-effective and stable lime supply chain, doing so by connecting stakeholders and going directly to the farms.

“For years I’ve been closely following the growth of Farm Direct Partners and the leading role that the company has played in developing Colombian lime exports,” said Dan Acevedo, Director of Business Development. “Colombia is a country with incredible agricultural potential and it’s exciting to be a part of a company that’s playing a leading role in bringing Colombian produce to U.S. consumers. I’ve also been very conscious of the need for origin diversification, not only in lime but across many product categories. Over my 25 years of experience in fresh produce, including Colombian lime and avocado most recently, I’ve come to understand that markets can’t come to over-rely on a single supplier, which in the case of lime is Mexico. Colombia and other countries can be a great hedge against volatility.”

Well, I know where my next limes will be coming from!

Margs, anyone?