“Grape market in changeover week”

The import of overseas grapes particularly from South Africa and Chile ended earlier this year than ever before. India shipped at least 100 per cent more grapes to Europe and has now practically left the market, the wait is currently for Egyptian volumes. “We are now in a changeover week. Most customers will switch this week, and next week we will shift completely to white grapes from Egypt,” says Eddy Kreukniet of Exsa Europe.

“India sent enormous volumes, causing several tough weeks on the grape market. However, they were absorbed much later in the season and India has now practically left the market. By now the market has dried up. Sicily has cautiously started packing fruit, but those volumes do not yet have influence on the market. For red grapes supply mostly consists of Crimson from, in particular, Chile and some from South Africa, and then next week we will shift to Flame,” Kreukniet says.

Exsa has a number of new varieties in Egypt of which the expectations are high, including ARA-numbers in red, white and black. “Egypt expects 10 to 15 per cent more production. The season is about seven days ahead and the peak will be earlier than last year, it will not be a late season, in any case. We even expect to end the season two weeks earlier than last year. And then we will have to wait for Spain and Italy to take over from Egypt,” Kreukniet explains. He can see the trend that particularly Spain, and to some extend Italy, is slowly but surely switching over to, and that is seedless strains.

“Competition from other summer fruits is currently not too bad, but that will change from June when cheaper stonefruits enter the market in large numbers. On the other hand, the weather has not been very stimulating for fruit consumption lately, so I expect that it will rise. Prices might drop a little, but they will not completely go into a slump,” Kreukniet expects.

Prices for white grapes are currently around 14 to 15 Euro per punnet, and prices for red grapes are around 18 Euro per punnet. “That price will be corrected a little next week,” says Kreukniet. “In theory these prices are, of course, good, but we must not forget that the later regions in South Africa exported 15 to 20 per cent less because of the heat wave.”

By now the South African orange season has also started for Exsa. “We expect an early switch from Spain to the overseas season. I expect we will have plenty of South African product within two weeks,” Kreukniet says. “To be honest, prices are a little too high for me right now, for when volumes start arriving, we also have to be able to sell them.”