Now that all major carriers have stopped shipping to Russia, the fear was soon to be that there would be an oversupply of fruit on the European market. Yet according to Randolf Aaldijk of Origin Fruit Direct from Rotterdam, that is not a foregone conclusion. "Just from a phyto-technical point of view it is not always possible. The European services do not accept phytos issued for Russia. The MRL restrictions in Russia, for example, are not nearly as strict as in the EU."
"Therefore, I don't expect a boom in products, originally destined for Russia, here. I expect that many containers arriving in Rotterdam will end up being sold outside the EU," Randolf continued. "But the suppliers will have to make a plan de campagne. Egypt sent huge volumes of citrus to Russia, and South Africa is also about to start selling tangerines and lemons. The question is what will happen with that. I honestly expect some of the existing trade lines to Russia to continue, but that is speculative. The value of the ruble also makes it very expensive for Russians to import."
"Regarding our strong products, I don't see much price pressure yet. For example, in the grape market it is still and prices remain good. For example, a few more containers of grapes on the market, the market can easily absorb. Regarding Egyptian Valencia oranges; we do not see any price pressure yet, but of course the question is how long this crisis will last. In the long run, all traders benefit from stability."
For more information:
Randolf Aaldijk
Origin Fruit Direct
Albert Plesmanweg 250
3088 GD Rotterdam
+31(0)88 244 93 00
[email protected]
www.originfruitdirect.nl