Halls currently have over 1400 hectares of avocados under their management, “we will export 1.7 -1.9 million cartons from South Africa this season for the EU market, with the majority of shipments coming through the port of Rotterdam. We will extend our direct shipments this year to include Russia, Spain, and The Middle & Far East," explains MrVicherat.
The main markets for these avocados are the European supermarkets, "Halls now has a very strong presence throughout France and we have recently opened a packing and ripening facility in the heart of the Rungis market (Halls Services) to ensure we can meet the needs and requirements of all our customers. We also have ripening facilities in Marseille and are working closely with a partner in the Netherlands to supply value added avocados and mangoes throughout Europe, specifically in Scandinavia, Germany, UK and Spain."
In addition to the South African avocados, Halls work closely with strategic grower partners in Kenya and Peru and will import 1 million cartons from Kenya and 800,000 from Peru. Vicherat says that in total Halls will receive approximately 3.5 million cartons from April to October this year.
Hall's avocados are distributed under the Halls brand and can also be supplied under supermarket's own brands.
The company recently launched a new premium range of 'RIPE’ avocados and mangoes, "This is the way forward. The European market is changing, and demand for the ready to eat will continue to grow and this is why Halls have invested in ripening and packing facilities throughout Europe," explains Mr Vicherat."We have already seen a huge increase in demand for the ready to eat products we currently offer in our range throughout the retail and wholesale markets. We see continued potential growth with a strong following for the foreseeable future with these products," concludes Mr Vichrat.
For more information:
Carrie Ward
Halls International
Email: carrie@hlhall.co.uk