According to the BLE, the season ended quietly and with significantly lower quantities of asparagus, as many producers and sellers stopped marketing early, even though the traditional end of the campaign did not take place until 24 June. It was a turbulent asparagus campaign in places, characterised by the early start to the season, late frosts and high levels of rainfall.
Domestic offerings continued to dominate the wholesale markets, although their presence was evidently limited. A certain degree of customer saturation could not be denied either: Accommodation options had become limited. Although demand was still good in some places, it could be satisfied without any problems. In most cases, prices rose once again and were at a remarkably high level at the end of the season.
The range was supplemented by Belgian, Dutch and Polish sticks, although these only played a very minor role overall. Even Peruvian green lots were to be found on various occasions.
Apples
Deliveries from overseas expanded: New Zealand Jazz and Chilean Gala as well as Pink Lady from New Zealand, Argentina and Chile joined the predominant Braeburn and Royal Gala from New Zealand and the Elstar and Royal Gala from Chile. The European alternative range was dwindling: domestic Elstar and Jonagold were still the leading varieties.
Pears
South African and Chilean Abate Fetel and Forelle formed the basis of the product range. Abate Fetel and, to a lesser extent, Williams Christ came primarily from Argentina. Dutch and Belgian Conference and Turkish Santa Maria completed the scene. Italian summer pears were snapped up in Frankfurt at €3 per kg.
Grapes
The Italian shipments expanded: In addition to the long-established Victoria, Black Magic and Arra 30, other varieties were now appearing, including Michele Palieri. The Spanish fruit season began: Among others, the first Crimson Seedless could be accessed.
Strawberries
Domestic deliveries predominated, with Dutch, Polish and Belgian deliveries rounding out the picture. Small quantities of imports from the United Kingdom also appeared in Munich. Overall, availability was limited. As a result, prices climbed on almost all markets. Prices of 3.20 upwards per 500 g bowl were the order of the day.
Apricots
A wide range of apricots was available, with Spanish consignments leading the way. French and Italian consignments followed almost equally in terms of quantity. Inflows from Greece, the Republic of Moldova, Hungary and Austria played only a minor role in unison. In addition to standard goods, Turkey increasingly sent sugar apricots.
Cherries
Spanish and Turkish deliveries dominated the market, with domestic and Greek offers lagging behind in terms of volume. Italian deliveries supplemented the range of goods. Overall, supply was limited, with only the presence of domestic consignments growing noticeably.
Peaches/nectarines
Spanish batches predominated over Italian ones. French batches complemented Greek and Turkish batches. Overall, availability increased and the range of sizes also widened. Although interest was not unfriendly, it was not always able to keep pace with the extensive supply.
Lemons
South African fruit was now available in all markets. Nevertheless, they only had a small share of the market compared to the Spanish produce. The emerging competition therefore had little influence on the prices of Spanish products.
Bananas
The summer weather had somewhat limited storage options in some areas. However, the ripening plants adjusted their supply to the reduced demand. As a result, distributors generally did not have to change their previous calls.
Cauliflowers
German products obviously dominated the market. Polish shipments completed the scene in Hamburg and Berlin, Dutch shipments in Frankfurt. Belgian deliveries were available in Cologne and Munich. There were inflows from Austria in Hamburg and Munich.
Lettuce
Domestic batches predominated in the iceberg lettuce segment, with Dutch suppliers supplementing the range. Spanish offerings only appeared in Cologne and Berlin. Business was relatively quiet across the board. Nevertheless, prices often trended upwards, but often only towards the weekend. Lettuce came from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Cucumbers
The assortment of cucumbers consisted of Dutch, domestic and Belgian supplies. Availability had apparently increased. Demand could not keep pace with this. This resulted in falling prices, and in some cases the price reductions were very sharp.
Tomatoes
As in previous weeks, Belgian and Dutch shipments dominated the market. There were also Italian, Spanish, a few Polish and some domestic lots, although the latter were relatively expensive. There were no peaks in marketing, with supply and demand remaining sufficiently balanced.
Sweet peppers
Dutch batches dominated, followed by Turkish and Belgian batches in terms of importance. Greek red pointed peppers arrived in Munich, giving Turkish imports a competitor. Munich also saw relatively favourable inflows from Albania and Poland, which could be handled relatively quickly.
Source: BLE