French consumers have historically not been exceptionally fond of blueberries, though recent promotions by berry suppliers there have improved consumption. Demand is still not as great as that in other European countries, though French berry supplies hope to change that in the coming years with consumer awareness campaigns.“We succeeded in doubling our blueberry sales from last year because of all the education we put out for consumers,” said Stephane Decourcelle of Les Fruits Rouges. “Low consumption in the past can be explained by consumers just not knowing the product. It's a step by step process in educating consumers, but we are selling more volume.” Supplies of blueberries are currently coming from Spain, where production is kicking into high gear.
“For red currants, we are finishing the season in Holland and bringing in fruit from Chile,” he added. “We'll then start with Portuguese supplies in a few days.” The market for red currants has been good, he noted, with per kilo prices reaching up to 17 euros.
As for strawberries, the market slowed considerably after Easter. There was a glut of product available and, partly due to inclement weather, there was not enough demand to absorb it. But that same weather slowed production, so Stephane believes supply and demand will be more in line over the next few weeks, and prices should improve.
Les Fruits Rouges sources its strawberries domestically as well as from abroad. Locally, it has greenhouses across the country to maximize the period of time when fruit is in season. In Morocco, the grower has 80 hectares owned by them, and it also works directly with growers who own their own land.
“We have to secure a certain amount of volume every day for our retailers,” said Stephane. “We can't fail them, so that's why most of our production is done in greenhouses.” The best product sourced typically goes to the fresh market, and the lower grade fruit goes to processing. Fresh berries typically command prices three times as high as those paid for fruit destined for the frozen or processed market.
For more information, please visit: www.fruitsrougesandco.com