Apr 12, 2011

Collateral Damage: Mexico drug war's latest victim: the lime

Mexico drug war's latest victim: the lime - CSMonitor.com: "Tania Tamayo's family of farmers coughs up 800 pesos ($66) to local drug traffickers for every truckload of limes they ship from the violent state of Michoacán, which supplies most of Mexico's lime market in the winter months.

"All packing companies pay the money," says Tamayo, surrounded by towers of lime sacks fresh off the truck in a Mexico City supply station. Gangs also set market prices and restrict harvests to limit supplies, according to Tamayo and another lime producer who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation by the gangs. ...

Be it extorting farmers, attacking produce trucks, or causing more time-consuming border inspections, criminal gangs are affecting almost every link in the produce supply chain. From farmers to shippers to resellers to shoppers, the violence is affecting the food industry."

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