This year's overseas stone fruit season has seen a very stable course. "We started in mid-December with the first South African plums and that season runs until the start of April. South Africa indicated that the harvest was smaller, but in the end, there was still a reasonable volume and this has resulted in stable prices on the European market. We expect to continue with arrivals of late varieties such as Flavor Fall and Autumn Treat until week 19/20. The sales of nectarines and peaches have also gone well. Nectarines are being sold for prices around 2 euros per kilo," says Jan Marc Schulz from SFI Rotterdam.
In the meantime, the Chilean plum season has also started and SFI expects to carry it through to May. "Although there are people who say that the youth no longer consumes plums, we still see a good ongoing sale, both towards retail and wholesale markets. The Chilean plums are also selling well, despite not having the best weather. Stone fruit remains a weather-sensitive product group. When the weather is nice, you just have a bit more of a craving for stone fruit, although Europe is more than just the Netherlands. Perhaps Easter will result in some extra demand."
A significant factor for imports from Chile is the strong market in the United States. "A lot of fruit is going that way, we see this with grapes as well. This makes it more difficult to get volumes to Europe," the importer notes. "Logistically, there are few obstacles. There were some delays from South Africa, but the Chilean fruit comes in smoothly. Also, the fear that the fruit could not pass through the Panama Canal due to the lack of water there has fortunately not become a reality."
The first Gala apples are expected at SFI Rotterdam on April 6, and the Chilean season for Abate Fetel pears has also started. "A sought-after item among specialists, although South Africa has some different prices than what was expected in Chile," says Jan Marc. The sentiment that Europe is more focused on local products, according to him, mainly occurs in the organic sector. "There, customers stick to the local harvest until the last box is sold. But for conventional products, buyers are still opting for the freshest fruit and that, for half the year, comes from overseas."
For more information:
Jan Marc Schulz
SFI Rotterdam
Mercuriusweg 12B
3113 AR Schiedam
[email protected]
www.sfifruit.com