Deliveries of cauliflower from Italy apparently predominated, followed by cauliflower from Spain. There were also some deliveries from France, but they only arrived in Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Cologne and were completely absent in Munich and Berlin. According to the BLE, availability had increased noticeably overall. The demand, meanwhile, was rather restrained; the milder temperatures had noticeably limited the possibilities for placement. As a result, prices trended downward, quite significantly in some cases. Reduced quality and returns from food retailers did the rest. At least, an accelerated turnover was observed as a result of the price reductions. Nevertheless, falling valuations were the order of the day, especially on the slow days in the middle of the week.
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Apples
Domestic varieties, above all Elstar, Boskoop, Braeburn, and Tenroy, continued to form the basis of the range. Italian products in the form of Pink Lady, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious followed. The higher temperatures have now revived the weekly markets and demand has intensified.
Pears
Italian Abate Fetel, Turkish Santa Maria, and Dutch Xenia were at the top of the range. Italian Santa Maria and Dutch Conference supplemented. Some summer pears also arrived from Italy, selling in Frankfurt at €23.50 per 10 kg. The presence of South African items had apparently increased.
Table grapes
South African, Peruvian, and Namibian imports were available, as is usual at this time of year. The first Thompson Seedless from India arrived in Hamburg and immediately played an important role; they were sold for €1.60 per 500-g tray and sold quickly. As a rule, supply exceeded demand.
Oranges
Spanish offers continued to dominate in the form of various navel varieties. From Egypt, mainly Valencia Late, Salustiana and Baladi came, but these are mostly used for juice production. The decreasing availability had a very stabilizing effect on prices.
Small citrus fruits
The product range narrowed noticeably. Although demand could still be met in most cases, gaps in supply were occasionally apparent. Among the Spanish offers, Tango increasingly disappeared from the assortment, while Orri gained in importance.
Lemons
Spanish Primofiori apparently dominated the market. Turkish Lama followed in terms of quantity. In addition, Egyptian, Italian, and Greek supplies could still be accessed in some cases. Munich reported price increases across the entire range.
Bananas
Towards the end of the month, demand was rather low, although it intensified at certain points on Carnival Thursday. The range had not changed significantly. In Frankfurt, prices rose for the various third-party brands.
Lettuce
Lettuce came from Belgium, Italy, and France; in the case of colored lettuce, a few Dutch items were also available. Iceberg lettuce came exclusively from Spain. Business was relatively uneven. In some places, higher temperatures boosted sales, enabling distributors to increase their calls.
Cucumbers
Spanish cucumbers dominated, followed by Dutch and Belgian cucumbers In Munich, Greek loads were also available, which gained slightly in relevance. In addition, the domestic season began: in Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Munich, local products were available.
Tomatoes
Availability increased noticeably, with deliveries from Turkey, the Netherlands, Spain, and Belgium in particular increasing. However, the presence of Italian and Moroccan offers also intensified. Demand had intensified as a result of the friendlier weather.
Sweet peppers
Spanish deliveries dominated over Turkish ones. Imports from Morocco, Israel, and Italy selectively completed the range. Dutch offers were not yet to be found, but are expected in the 10th or 11th calendar week. Prices often rose, with red, yellow, and green products being valued quite similarly.
Source: BLE