“Low prices and a lot of people on holiday, it was stacked against us for a long time,” says Pieter de Ruiter of 4 Fruit Company from Ridderkerk, the Netherlands. The current temperatures, however, offer a lot of perspective. “Watermelons are scarce. Volumes of Galia, Cantaloupe and yellow melons are increasing, so it’s all looking a bit friendlier again.”
With the Brazilian season about to start, an overlap could result in a large supply and low prices in other years, but that’s not the case this year, according to Pieter. “I’ve heard from our suppliers in Campo de Cartagena that it rained a lot. Melons fill up with water when it rains a lot, and they have to be harvested quickly. The season will therefore not last much longer.”
The Spanish stone fruit season is as good as over as well. Pieter says it was a dramatic season. “We had firm, healthy Spanish plums available every day, but prices didn’t go higher than 4 euro. Nectarines and peaches were the same. Dutch vegetables are currently better for trade. Tomatoes are selling at 7-8 euro, and bell peppers are valuable at the moment as well.”
“The same is true for mangoes, which are quite expensive. The avocado market has been good for quite some time now as well. Good Hass avocados are selling for 15-16 euro. But that doesn’t mean much if you don’t have them, and most people have shortages,” Pieter concludes.
For more information:
Pieter de Ruiter
4 Fruit Company
Handelsweg 30
2988 DB Ridderkerk, the Netherlands
Tel. +31 180 64 19 02
pr@4fc.nl
www.4fruitcompany.nl