Brazil sees the UK market as having growth potential for its limes, and has backed its views by investing heavily in new technology and grove plantings in the fertile north-east of the country, where million of dollars have been invested in irrigation schemes.

The strategy has already won over major packer Ita Citrus, which operates near São Paolo and is set to expand its interests to the north east and become a producer, planting more than 2,000 hectares of trees.

Heiko Freitag, Ita Citrus's European agent, was at IFE as a first step towards contacting importers and supermarkets. The two production areas, he claimed, would make Ita Citrus the largest lime organisation in Brazil, with the priceless capacity to ship year-round.

'This will provide 12-month continuity on irrigated land, where we expect to be in commercial production within 18 months,' he said, adding that the company is also studying the opportunities provided by the mango and papaya job in the region.

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