The stone fruit season is gradually picking up pace at the Zurich wholesale market. Spanish apricots, peaches, and nectarines are already circulating, with Italian stone fruits expected to follow soon. "The first Italian early cherries are also hitting the market. However, their coloring is still a bit too light. So, we prefer to wait for the slightly darker cherries, which are expected to arrive gradually from the third week of May," reports Marco Haegeli, an Italy specialist at the wholesale market and Managing Director of Karl Haegeli Erben AG based there.
Net melons, asparagus, and strawberries
Meanwhile, the first net melons from Sicily have also been offered, continues Haegeli. Due to the cool weather in recent weeks, the demand for melons has been somewhat subdued. "The weather in Italy has also been rather cool and rainy lately. During week 20, we now expect the first mini watermelons of Italian origin, followed by the smooth-skinned and very popular in Switzerland, Jolly melons, starting from the end of May."
Jolly melons of Italian origin are increasingly popular in Switzerland.
Another seasonal highlight in spring is traditionally asparagus. Haegeli sources this premium vegetable from the Netherlands, Italy, and locally. "Thanks to our extensive supplier network, we can offer white, green, and wild asparagus. The 22+ size sorting of white asparagus, in particular, finds good resonance with our buyers. So far, the price level has been quite stable and almost at the previous year's level. However, due to a decrease in quantity, there was a slight price increase in week 18. In general, we find that Swiss asparagus, especially in the retail and weekly market sectors, holds a very high value. Dutch asparagus, on the other hand, is more difficult to sell than a few years ago."
Strawberries from imports are gradually being replaced by local products. Haegeli: "The Italian strawberry season is now coming to an end, and many have already switched to Swiss strawberries. Overall, it was a challenging import campaign, marked by weather-related quality issues."
Marco Haegeli is at the helm of the company bearing his name, located at the Zurich wholesale market.
Organic continues to trend upwards, despite inflation
For a few years now, Haegeli has increasingly dedicated himself to the procurement and marketing of organic produce (FreshPlaza.de reported). "The growth trend in organic continues," observes the fruit wholesaler. "There are more and more operations in Switzerland - also within our supplier base - that want to switch to organic. Besides classics like strawberries, we are now also able to offer exotic items like monk's beard in organic quality. Even though we are currently observing an increasing price awareness in wholesale, due to inflation, this has not yet noticeably affected the organic market."
Images: Karl Haegeli Erben AG
For more information:
Marco Heageli
Karl Haegeli Erben AG
Würzgrabenstrasse 6
CH - 8048 Zürich
Tel. +41 44 439 78 00
Fax. +41 44 439 78 09
[email protected]
www.haegeli.com