"Shortage of Chilean apples in bigger sizes expected"

Chilean apples have turned out significantly smaller this year. "The complete harvest has turned out 1 to 2 sizes smaller than previous years". Explains Daan van der Kooij of Jokofruit from Rotterdam. In turn they receive apples from Combifruit/Santiago from their own brand Master-D this year. In the meantime the first Royal Galas are on their way from Chile and will be expected in Rotterdam halfway through March along with the first Packhams- and Fetel-pears. Jokofruit exports Chilean fruit throughout the whole of Europe.

"My shipper told me that the harvest of Chilean apples did not directly suffer much from the frost in September 2013 but simply because they thinned out later or not at all in connection to the frost fewer bigger sizes will be available. Higher prices will be paid for the bigger sizes because there is a worldwide demand for these apples and a lack of supply in Chile. Due to this fewer Royal Galas will come our way now. This is also because the smaller sized apples are here in abundance after the European harvest. Usually the bigger sizes of the popular varieties will already be gone in winter".

left: Daan van der Kooij

Daan knows that the Chilean pears and grapes have suffered more from the frost in September. "I was there last autumn and one of the sites sustained a lot of damage but then again the other one had no damage. All in all, they are able to export a lot less products". Import apples are still very popular according to the importer. "There always has been a good demand when the first Granny Smith arrived in former times and this really hasn't changed. Nevertheless the fresh flavour of the import apples are still different from that of the winter apple and this justifies the complete different price setting".

Voor meer informatie:
Jokofruit B.V.
Tel: 0031 10-4761166
Fax: 0031 10-4763368
jokofruit@joko.nl
www.joko.nl