"EU: "Discounters remove grapes from the shelves due to high prices"

Currently, there is a good grape market. "From now until week 52 the arrivals will not be enough to meet the demand and the price will remain high. After the holidays, the season will really start and the market will have to re-settle. However we expect up until mid-January, a shortage in the supply of red seedless grapes, "says Eddy Kreukniet EXSA of Europe.

"We now have grapes from the northern part of South Africa (Mpumalanga area) and on the way from Namibia. This week (48) the Orange River will get started. Generally the production is running about seven to ten days behind compared to last year," continues Eddy. "We now have the white seedless varieties Early Sweet and Prime Seedless on the water and the red grape Flame seedless and Starlight. The first black seedless grape will be on the in week 49."

"The demand is fine. There is little stock from Brazil and so South African and Namibian arrive on an empty market. The shop prices are however high, so we see a decrease in the 'normal' orders to the retailers," says the importer. "After all, there are plenty of alternatives in terms of other vegetables, exotic and citrus. There are even discount supermarkets temporarily removing the grapes from the shelves."

Of the strikes, the EXSA's European sales office has hardly see any trouble. "We work mainly with permanent employees and the turmoil created by the contract workers and day workers. Currently it is fairly calm," said Eddy.

For more information:
Eddy Kreukniet
Exsa Europe
Tel: +31 88 735 0003
Mob: +31 620 25 78 11
[email protected]
www.exsaeurope.com