“Our several stonefruit varieties, chosen for their unique flavour, are harvested from April to mid-September. They are then distributed all over Europe, mainly in Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and France. We are now focusing on the local market, as well as Portugal, Hungary and Spain,” affirms Quality and Project Manager Laurie Suhr. “The new season in Spain and Portugal will start in the first week of May, and in Hungary it will kick off around the third week of June.”
Fairfruit Group supplies almost 11,400 tonnes of fruit every year, with Hungarian produce representing around 7,000 tonnes per year. According to Laurie, this year “The winter’s climatic conditions have been better, and this will have an effect on the Spanish production despite arriving about 10 days later than last year. It will be greater for all varieties with a better internal quality.”
She assures that market conditions will be slightly tougher, with greater price competition due to the Russian embargo, and demand will also be strongly affected by the climatic conditions in May. “The weather conditions have a strong impact on stonefruit production. Each year, we have new challenges to manage because of the weather. In Spain, for example, the apricot trees had enough hours of cold compared to last year which is good for the calibres and yield,” she explains.
Another challenge for the company is to expand its organic production in Portugal. Laurie added that “This year, we are expecting about 400 tonnes of organic fruits, mainly apricots, nectarines and flat peaches. The target markets for these products are Switzerland, Austria, France and Germany.”
Established in 2014, Fairfruit Group aims to find the best soils for stonefruit agriculture in Europe, although its story began in Tokay, Hungary in 1997 with its partner Gyümölcsért Kft.
“Fairfruit Group was established to bring together different companies and production facilities under one name and promote a common strategy. Fairfruit wants to play a key role in the stonefruit market in Europe. Our strategy is based on the sharing of knowledge and expertise, mastery of the supply chain and a strong corporate culture. Fairfruit wishes to provide its customers with healthy, high quality products developed in compliance with the producer and consumer values,” states Laurie.
The company is also constantly on the look out for new contacts with its yearly participation in fairs like Fruit Logistica, in Berlin, or Fruit Attraction, in Madrid.
For more information:
Laurie Suhr
Quality and Project Manager
FAIRFRUIT SERVICES, Ltd.
Phone number:
0033 635 408 589
E-mail: laurie.suhr@fairfruitgroup.com
Quality and Project Manager
FAIRFRUIT SERVICES, Ltd.
Phone number:
0033 635 408 589
E-mail: laurie.suhr@fairfruitgroup.com
Authors: Yzza Ibrahim / Juan Zea Estelles