The first Brazilian grapes for Origin Fruit were originally scheduled to arrive in Rotterdam on Tuesday, but the laborers' strike at the port disrupted those plans. "That has quite an impact on our trade," says Corne van de Klundert of the Rotterdam-based Origin Fruit Group in a preview of the season.
"In the overseas growing regions, the outlook is good for now. Brazil, Peru, Namibia, and South Africa have all had a solid start to the season. Namibia did experience some rain during flowering, which is never ideal, and in northern Peru, cool and cloudy weather has slowed growth a little more than hoped."
"Because of the port delays, our start to the overseas season is slightly later, but there are still plenty of European grapes on the market, so timing isn't everything. The quality of supply varies between origins, and some customers are already eager to begin with the overseas grapes. I hope we can start with clamshell packaging at a price point between 17 and 19 euros. Some shipments have already arrived and sold within that range, but those were mainly small volumes for customers keen to kick off the new season."
© Origin Fruit Group
The importer does not expect U.S. trade tariffs to have a major impact on trade flows from Brazil and Peru. "What we are seeing in the grape category is that more and more customers are asking for new varieties, and knowledge of these is also growing. This is a positive trend because it helps drive grape consumption. It's up to us to work with customers to properly inform consumers. That's quite a challenge, since certain varieties may only be in production for three weeks. You can't rely on a single variety, and ensuring continuity around that is not easy."
For more information:
Corné van de Klundert
Origin Fruit Europe
Albert Plesmanweg 250 - Port 2450
3088 GD Rotterdam
Tel: +31 88 244 93 08
[email protected]
www.originfruitgroup.com
