Limes: Mexico's green gold
Prices for limes grown in Mexico are on the rise after a shortfall in production. CNN's Nick Parker reports.

In Mexico there's almost a sacred institution, the mighty lime is used in drinks, food, and well, just about everything.
In recent months a big fall in production has meant that the limes in fields like these are in hot demand and prices have shot up. Juanliana Maupeca? says he is recieving twenty times as much with his limes as six months ago. Prices do normally rise at this time of year, but there are more important factors.

"There is a devastation caused by citrus disease", he says,"and then there is climate change, with the arrival of winter there has been a cold snap in neightboring states; and what I feel is most devastating are the price speculators". He also pointed the recent insecurity in the state of Michoacan, a top lime producers. Those most directly affected the Mexican consumers.
"I normally buy two kilos", the shopper says,"but now I buy a half and only use them for absolute essentials". Mexico is the world's largest lime producer, and markets in the US and Europe are also feeling the ?.
We are here on Mahattan's upper west side, how some businesses are reacting to that price hike. Are you going to be paying more for your Modorido.
"Well I can tell you this time last year we were paying approximately 36 dollars a case, our first delivery this morning was 110 dollars a case. Now we have not passed that along to the guests and don't plan to." All the same, with so many items on the menu depending on limes, the chain of 19 restaurants says it will have to pay an extra of 650,000 dollars this year if prices stay the same. This means a big pay day for those growers who have not been hit by shortages.
"Producers are going to invest money in their own fields", this exporter says,"because that's the way of improving, you can fertilize better." Mexican government is also trying to ramp up future supply by introducing new methods to produce limes all year round. The government and farmers expect prices to begin falling in May. Their concern is that the recent experience may test the loyalty of consumers and businesses.