“The team was very pleased with our attendance at Asia Fruit Logistica earlier in September. Berdafruit is constantly sourcing products from South Africa, Chile, Peru, Australia, India and Morocco to supply the Chinese market."
The Chinese, South African and Chilean teams of Berdafruit at Asia Fruit Logistica, with sixth from left Pieter Marais
"This year, we had some excellent meetings with our current customers as well as some new potential suppliers. We were especially excited about our meetings with Egyptian and Indian suppliers, as these are the countries we are looking to grow our presence in,” explains Pieter Marais, Global Procurement Manager at Berdafruit.
Midnight Beauty (Black seedless) grapes from South Africa
Online sales
“Our online sales in China have gone through the roof and we are very excited about what lies ahead for Berdafruit. Our online sales department have had some outstanding results in the past 12 months, with sales which are continually growing on a monthly basis. This year we sold 30% of our lemons through our in-house online department, which is a sign that we are moving in the right direction."
Picture of Berdafruit's online sales channel in China
"Star rubies, Clemengold and other fruit types were also promoted and sold online. What’s also very exciting is that some of our current online clients have shown an interest in normal class 1 citrus and, in some cases, even class 2 fruit. The online requirement therefore is somehow different from the traditional wholesale requirement, which could give our suppliers more options in the future.”
Chilean crimson seedless, grapes and kiwifruit sold under the Golden Cheetah brand
Year round supply
“Our Golden Cheetah brand is getting more popular in the Chinese market for citrus, grapes, kiwifruit et cetera. Soon our first blueberries from Chile will also be packed under the Golden Cheetah label. The challenge will be to maintain good control over our product’s quality as volumes grow. We are pleased to have the brand on the market for 12 months of the year.“
“Finally, we are satisfied with the past citrus season even though South Africa experienced serious problems due to the fruit drop, predominantly in the Eastern Cape. However, once again we have our suppliers and growers to thank who have done their utmost best to provide us with good quality fruit.“
Imported mandarin and citrus sold under the Golden Cheetah brand
Berda Fruit Co Ltd is a Chinese fruit importer from which sources produce from South Africa, Chile, Peru, Australia, India and Morocco.
For more information:
Pieter Marais
Berda Fruit
Mob: +27(0)732595950
Fax: +27(0)865176374
Email:pieter@berdafruit.com