“I think we will go all the way into the beginning of April,” said Rafi Zuri of Galil Export. “I heard of some frost in Turkey, so I don't know how long they will go. But, usually, in March and April is when there's less Turkish fruit and prices are better.” As of now, prices per 15-kilogram carton are around 12 Euro.
To get through the slow winter months, Galil focuses on Asian markets. Those countries usually bring higher prices, though the risk involved is higher because transport time is about a month and customs and associated issues complicate shipments. But those markets still remain very interesting because prices are so much higher than those found in Europe.
“Prices in Asia depend on the specific country,” Rafi noted, “but they are higher, for sure.” Shipments to Japan have been trending downward in recent years, but shipments to China and Korea have been climbing. As a whole, Rafi sees the region becoming more important for Israeli shippers.
"As recently as the 2013/14 season Israeli growers exported 60,000 tons of red grapefruit every year, but because of low prices in the markets and low return to the growers, many growers switched to other items. Now the export is around 40,000 tons a year, but with better return to the growers."
For more information:
Rafi Zuri
Mob: +972 54 485 9346
[email protected]
