"Two weeks ago, around All Saints Day, the demand for top fruit really pulled up. This week the prices have gone down again as a result of growing supply," says Louis De Cleene of Devos Group. "This year we were affected by the heat and the drought, like the rest of the sector. The pears are smaller in sizes this year and the apples are on the large size. For our own club variety Primo, known for its typical red colour, the effects are the same, however the quality has been safeguarded and the flavour is exceptionally god."
New markets
"For apples in general it is difficult in our latitude. The trade is disrupted by the heavy competition from Poland and the Russian boycott. This is why we are now looking for new sales markets and are trying to gain more of a foothold in Asia, although this will be a game of patience," according to Louis. "Despite the fact that the top fruit sector has been going through a difficult period for a number of years due to the natural conditions, among others, the demand for our products hasn't declined. Devos Group believes it is important to invest in a good relationship with its customers. We start from the demand of the customer and sort the desired quality in the desired packaging."
Club varieties
Besides growing demand for club varieties the trader notices that the demand for Conference is still very high. "75% of the pears we sell are still Conference, followed by Doyenné du Comice. Yet we notice the growing demand for club varieties and play into this by offering our two exclusive red pears: Early Desire and Queens Forelle," says De Cleene. Devos also plays into customer demands by offering a wide range of packaging options. "We have our own packaging machines to meet any customer desire. We also work around the clock to be able to supply the customer with a fresh product as quickly as possible with as little stock as possible. Devos has also been a grower for a decade, which is how the story started. We have come full circle and control the entire chain."
Voor meer informatie:
Devos Group
Wijndriesstraat 12
3460 Bekkevoort - Belgium
+32(0)16 77 97 58
[email protected]
www.devosgroup.com