The first quarter of the current financial year was particularly quiet. 'Easter is relatively late this year, which is a significant difference compared to last year,' reports Andreas Lange, managing director of Peter Keuthmann GmbH & Co. KG based at Berlin Wholesale Market. Nevertheless, spring is now also in the starting blocks at the local wholesale market. "German heated asparagus from the Lower Rhine has been available for two weeks, and the early Beelitz asparagus, which is grown under triple foil, should be on the market by the end of the month. German wild garlic and forced rhubarb are also already available."
In addition to German early asparagus, the Keuthmann company also offers white and green asparagus of Italian origin. Lange: "Demand has been increasing noticeably since the beginning of calendar week 13, thanks in no small part to the spring-like weather. But it should also be noted that the quality of Italian white asparagus has improved greatly in recent years. This progress is probably due to the choice of varieties and the cultivation method." Another harbinger of spring is strawberries, the wholesale market dealer continues. "A few days ago, we received the first Dutch greenhouse fruits, almost the same as last year. On the procurement side, the extreme weather in Spain presented us with major challenges, but we were able to overcome them with goods from Greece and, above all, Italy."
© Hugo Huijbers | FreshPlaza.comAndreas Lange during a visit to the wholesale market by FreshPlaza in 2023. The company's customer base includes mainly traditional wholesale customers.
Extreme weather affects supply
The capricious weather in Spain affects not only strawberries but also the fruit and vegetable category. "Especially with red and yellow sweet peppers, we are now seeing a clear bottleneck at the season change. Due to the weather, the quantities from Spain are considerably lower than usual, while the Dutch season is only just beginning. In terms of price, Spanish goods are up by as much as 25 percent compared to the previous year," says Lange, who expects the supply situation to remain tight and market prices to remain high until mid-April.
For many years, the company has relied on the proven range of the Spanish brand Caparros, especially in the premium segment. The range includes both seasonal items, such as watermelons, and year-round products, such as the exclusive Lobello cherry tomatoes. "Although our premium tomatoes are also subject to the current weather conditions and their harvest volumes are correspondingly lower, we have been able to keep market prices relatively stable recently."
© Peter Keuthmann GmbH & Co. KGAndreas Lange with asparagus from Tuscany and Caparro's peppers in the background.
Clementine season ends
Meanwhile, the season for Spanish clementines is in its final stages. "We are currently offering the late varieties Nadorcott and Tangold, which will be available until mid-April at the latest. Thereafter, only the popular Orri clementine from Israel will be available. However, experience shows that demand for clementines drops sharply in spring because from April onwards, the focus is on seasonal fruit such as strawberries and the like. As for Spanish oranges, I would describe the current supply situation as stable. We are currently offering the Lane Late variety, which would normally be replaced by Valencia Late in April. This variety is usually offered well into June, at which point the first early oranges from South Africa would already be available," he concludes.
For more information:
Andreas Lange
Peter Keuthmann GmbH & Co. KG
Wholesale Market Berlin
Tel: +49 (0)30 39 40 99-0
Fax: +49 (0)30 39 40 99-250
info@keuthmann.net
www.keuthmann.net