U.S.-based fresh produce grower/packer/importer Farm Direct Partners (FDP) has appointed Jackie Carrillo and Dan Acevedo as key executives in a strategic move that will further advance the company's growth in the imported lime category.
According to data from the USDA, U.S. lime imports by value have risen 69.5 percent since 2020, reaching nearly $860 million U.S. dollars for the 2023/2024 market year. However, during the same period, U.S. imports by volume have grown a mere 3.6 percent. This discrepancy highlights the market's need to expand its sourcing capabilities and add new regions of production.
FDP is helping solve this problem. "What we've seen in the lime space is truly incredible," said Dax Cooke, FDP's 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."
Left to right: Jackie Carrillo, Dan Acevedo
FDP, which brings in fresh lime from its subsidiaries in Colombia, Peru, and elsewhere, has seen exponential growth over the past few years. "Our customers have increased their unit sales by diversifying their sourcing strategies to include lime from South America," said Cooke. "To continue this momentum, we've added Jackie and Dan, who will support us at the IFPA Foodservice Conference in Monterey, CA, on July 25-26."
"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. 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," said Cooke.
"While Mexico will continue to be a key supplier for the U.S. market, maintaining security of supply will require a multi-origin approach. My goal is to continue to work to reduce price volatility and improve stability for customers," said Carrillo.
"Dan has extensive experience with developing new-origin products into national and regional programs," said Cooke. "He will spearhead our business development and national marketing programs, leveraging his knowledge of retail, food service, and wholesale markets across North America."
"I've been very conscious of the need for origin diversification, not only in limes but across many product categories," said Acevedo. "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."
For more information:
Dax Cooke
Farm Direct Partners
Tel: +1 (404) 578-0859
[email protected]
https://www.farmdirectfruit.com/