Melons are getting high prices at the moment. "From Spain, there is not a crazy amount of shipments and therefore almost everyone is faced with shortages. Everyone is struggling to get the programs filled and especially for the good sizes (5-6) Galia and Cantaloupe, you almost have to get on your knees to get enough product in," observes Pieter de Ruiter of 4Fruit Company from Ridderkerk.
"Those high prices are quite a challenge when selling at the moment. The price of good-sized Galias are already around 8.50-9 euros, so you have to make a lot of money. Watermelon prices are also currently running at around 80–85 cents and with the expected temperatures, 90 cents is also in the offing. Again, it is competing for supply. We could easily sell two cars of Bouquet watermelons a day at the moment, but are struggling to get two cars a week," Pieter says. "Yellow melons also only come in by pallets at a time. I see that yellow melons from Brazil are already being stunted in the market too, so that is remarkably early."
Pieter de Ruiter (right) with his colleague Ferran Barcelo.
Regarding stone fruit, the high prices for French stone fruit are particularly striking. "For French peaches, prices are made between 12-14 euros, so those are world prices," says Pieter. "Prices for Spanish and Turkish fruit are traditionally a lot lower, though. With Spanish and Turkish nectarines, there is still sometimes an unripe picked one in the box that doesn't want to ripen, you don't encounter that with the French ones. So the good-sized peaches from Spain and Turkey sell for 7-7.50 euros and 6 euros for the small sizes, the nectarines do 5.50-7 euros and the paraguayos go out the door around 8 euros.
"We also started the first Spanish pomegranates today. These are arriving at a hot market as Peru is facing hopeless shortages. Prices are around 16-17 euros for 3.8 kilos. Nice money is also being made for Spanish figs, with a price of 10 euros for 2 kg," notes the importer.
August 7 marked the 10th anniversary of Russia's boycott of EU fruit and vegetables. "For us too, that was a hard sell. We employed two Russian ladies at the time, and surely trade with Russia was the icing on the cake. We still sell some trade from South Africa and South America to Russia, but these are nowhere near the volumes of yesteryear," Pieter says. He does not expect this to change, either. "Besides being politically sensitive, Russia has established excellent ties with suppliers from countries such as Iran, China and India."
For more information:
Pieter de Ruiter
4 Fruit Company
Handelsweg 30
2988 DB Ridderkerk
+31 (0)180 641902
[email protected]
www.4fruitcompany.nl