At Rungis, importer Barnier works with ginger from Brazil throughout the year. The company has been selling a product of quality for years. "From April to June, we import young ginger, also known as 'baby ginger', a fresh ginger known for its stronger taste. After that, we import dry ginger all year round. We are very satisfied with the quality of the ginger we receive, as well as with all our range of exotic fruits. We have chosen to make quality our spearhead, which is what our clients are looking for," explains Steven Babin.
Consumption has remained relatively stable this year: "We import very little ginger, but we have noticed that our sales are stable almost all year round, with more activity around the holiday season. Consumption may also increase during the Olympic Games in Paris, but probably only slightly. Similarly, prices have hardly changed since December. We had more demand when the Chinese ginger shipped by boat experienced logistical problems with the Suez Canal, which was blocked a few months earlier. But we do not change prices for just a few weeks. We also had a few increases at supplier level, but too small to impact the end consumer."
Besides ginger, Barnier sells Santana Frécinette, a flagship product that is increasingly popular on the French market. "This is a small banana that we import by plane from Colombia. It is available in stores like Carrefour and Grand Frais. It is very sweet, quite plump and very popular with children and families. Available all year round, sales usually increase during festive periods. The demand can be 5 or 6 times greater, and supplying everyone then becomes a real challenge."
For more information:
Steven Babin
Barnier
[email protected]