Dutch pineapple importers are currently trying to process a large volume of these fruits. "Costa Rica always has a high production at this time of year. A fair amount is also coming in left and right," says Miguel Gonzalez of MG Fruit in Barendrecht, the Netherlands.
"This additional supply is coming from countries such as Panama, Ecuador, and Colombia. You see these countries on the market more than before. They do not have Costa Rica's position. In a market with less supply, you have fewer problem with this. But, when Costa Rica is in full control, it does affect price formations."
"This is currently causing prices to drop a little. We are now at a price level of around €8-8,50 for good sizes. You will not get rich from this. These are, however, also not terrible prices," says Miguel. "The pineapple market made it through the summer relatively well too."
"We may not reach the prices we expected, but I do not find this to be a problem. I prefer having a nice, average price for a longer time, with stable consumption. Rather this, than fluctuations which halt sales. Then you just pay back everything you have earned."
"Pineapples are not really an exotic fruit anymore. They are a basic product in fruit shelves. Despite this, in other summers, the market was depressed. This was due to, among other factors, competition from other summer fruits. This year, there was plenty of fruit from Southern Europe on the market," adds the importer.
"However, the supply and demand market trumped this. This is because lower pineapple supplies brought the market to a good level." Miguel expects the market to become more difficult in the coming weeks. This difficulty is due to the high production volumes. "Production is expected to decrease somewhat from mid-October. Prices will then rise again."
He has noticed an important trend. People more often want pineapples with a little more color. "In the past, having green pineapples was considered an advantage. They lasted longer. Now, especially Dutch consumers, want more color to their pineapples. This color is good not only for the fruit's ripeness and Brix level. It is also a boon for its appearance," concludes Gonzalez.
For more information:
Miguel Gonzalez
MG Fruit
49-60 Handelscentrum
2991 LD Barendrecht, NL
T: +31 (0) 180 745 470
M: 31 (0) 651 267 933
miguel@mgfruit.nl
www.mgfruit.nl