"In recent 
years, the appetite for avocados in Germany and surrounding countries has been increasing," says Paulina Criticos (pictured right), CEO of Westfalia Fruit Group - EMEA region. "We have experienced a strong growth over the past year. We have achieved this with both existing and new customers in the various distribution channels, namely food retail, catering, wholesale and industry."
Year-round availability with high quality
To meet the increased interest and demand, the company said it has worked harder to ensure that avocados are available year-round with consistent high quality. "Year-round availability also facilitates regular purchases and thus increased consumption and ultimately market penetration. Demand for avocado products using the whole fruit such as guacamole, oils and purees is also developing. Westfalia Fruit has been supplying the world market with these products for many years, particularly South Africa, and we work closely with our colleagues to deliver high quality avocado products to Germany."
Avocado prices were quite high throughout the winter, he said, largely due to the fact that select growing countries had a weak year during that period. "It is quite normal that good and bad years alternate in growing regions, as we work with nature and the development of avocado trees from one year to the next. Because of the consistently high demand, prices could be maintained."
According to Criticos, Westfalia benefits from a wide variety of growing regions, from the more traditional areas such as South Africa, Chile, Colombia and Peru to emerging regions such as Mozambique, Portugal and India. "Our experience suggests that there is no real difference between retail and wholesale demand," she said. During the pandemic, when restaurants and grocery stores were closed in many areas, the balance naturally shifted to retail, but now it's back to pre-pandemic levels." Westfalia avocados are transported exclusively by sea or land, so a restriction on air freight would have no impact on their supply chain.
Photos: Westfalia Fruit Group
For more information:
Paulina Criticos
Westfalia Fruit Group EMEA
www.westfaliafruit.com