“When it comes to mango supplies, we are not being hindered by the strikes that happened in Peru this past December. For the moment, there are plenty of mangoes from Peru and Israel", says Laurens Dielens of Belgian fruit and vegetable trader, Lejeune.
“The strikes have had a slight influence on the prices. This is, however, the case for everyone on the market. Prices have been reasonably stable for about six weeks now. They are at the level of EUR10 or 11 for nine pieces. These prices are normal for this time of year."
The mangoes' quality depends on how they have been selected. "We find that Israel makes better selections of their fruit. They, therefore, send a higher quality product than Chile or Peru. This is also often the case with other products too. These include clementines and avocados”, says Laurens.
“You also see a big difference in quality between the fruit that is or is not stickered. There is also a vast difference in green and red mangoes' quality. This makes it very important to come to good agreements with exporters, especially when it comes to mangoes."
“We have, personally, had minimal problems with the strikes. This is thanks to the larger group of which we are a part. Since they supply a lot to supermarkets, the A. De Witte Group takes on high volumes. This means that many contract agreements are made beforehand. As a result, we can put some pressure on the suppliers", he continues. “The demand for mangoes is, currently, quite normal. We only see the peak in the summer."
For more information:
Laurens Dielens
Lejeune
3 Strijbroek, Warehouse 22-26
2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver
+32(0) 153 16 931
info@nvlejeune.be
www.nvlejeune.be