Such is the case of the Spanish company Agridemur, which has been specialised since 1995 in the marketing of salads for the processing sector in Europe, which plans to launch fresh herbs like flat-leaf and curly-leaf parsley, cilantro and dill this year.
"We started offering these products as a complement to our orders from supermarket chains, as they are noticing a progressively growing demand for fresh herbs. Last year, we conducted some tests, but we had very low volumes and did not want to sell something we could not deliver, so we've waited until now to promote them," said Pedro Alderete, CEO of Agridemur, at Fruit Logistica, in Berlin. "However, our volumes are still limited compared to other leafy vegetables that we have, like lettuce, baby leaf and spinach," he added.
"This is a product with high production costs due to amount of labour required, that is why prices are also higher," he explains. "Additionally, its short shelf life also makes its marketing more complex."
Furthermore, Agridemur is also promoting kale, with 18 hectares already devoted to its production. It is a product still unknown in Spain, but in countries like the UK, the Netherlands and Germany it is considered a "super-vegetable" because of its great health benefits.
For more information:
Pedro Alderete
Agridemur
Torre de Pacheco-Murcia. Spain
T: +34 968 587587
p.alderete@agridemur.com
www.agridemur.com