"France: "We were forerunners in avocados and pomegranates"

Commercial Fruits is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Gabriel Burunat, founder and president of the company, was the first to import Peruvian avocados into Europe. The 'king of Rungis’ avocados’, as he is called in a documentary, did not see the time pass.

"We have always tried to be a forerunner in certain products or origins. Twenty-five years ago, we started by importing fresh figs and green asparagus from Peru. Five years later, we started to market the Peruvian avocado, and we developed the pomegranate ten years ago. Today, we are the biggest importer of Peruvian pomegranates in Europe."

A turning point in the evolution of the company was the purchase of a warehouse on the Rungis market in 2010. "It's a refrigerated warehouse of 2,250 m2, equipped with a ripening depot with a capacity of about 90 pallets. The ripening depot is mainly used for avocados, but also for mangoes."

2010 was also the year William Burunat, Gabriel's son, joined the company. Today he works as commercial director. "As for the future, we are creating a new sales team with young people who will work with William. In addition, there are prospects for other products and origins."

One of Gabriel's goals is to introduce the pomegranate to the French public, and not without success: the consumption of the fruit increases. "The secret to selling more pomegranates is to offer the loose seeds. We also sell pomegranates to the hospitality industry; especially to bars and shops that have pomegranate juicers and where consumers can buy a super fresh juice that is prepared in front of them."

Still, the increase in production goes faster than the increase in consumption. In Peru the pomegranate season was quite complicated. "In just a few weeks, they’ve sent too high of an amount; 50% more than last season. If Peru wishes to continue with the pomegranate, it must seek alternatives to the European market. Otherwise, the Peruvians will flood us, as they’ve already done this year."

Gabriel thinks that many Peruvians have planted pomegranates, primarily focusing on the US market, while the conditions to get to this market are so difficult that, ultimately, very few Peruvian exporters are exporting to the United States. “For this reason, the large amounts produced have mainly been exported to Europe."

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Gabriel Burunat