The start of the apple season has been complicated. “Until the month of November, the market was not as favorable as it should have been. The supply was abundant: there were many apples of various origins on the market, including some stocks from last year,” reports Marc Peyres, export sales director at Blue Whale. “Now, the market is becoming more favorable. The European stocks are decreasing, and for some varieties and calibers, the demand is now slightly higher than the offer.”
According to Marc, for many varieties, Europe will not have any excess of supply any more until the end of the season. “In January, some markets accelerated a little for a number of varieties. The market remains heavy for the small calibers, but for the good varieties and calibers, the market is rather positive.”
However, Marc adds that there are a few special situations. “France had a large harvest this year, and the domestic market is under pressure. France was not the only country with a large offer. Contrary to the previous season, China and North America also harvested a lot of apples. This complicated the situation on the international market, outside of Europe.”
Fragmented market
Marc points out that the apple market is much more complicated to analyze than it used to be. “The multiplication of varieties and origins make the situation highly variable from one region and year to the other. Markets differ depending on the varieties. Some varieties are local, international, some are intended for Northern Europe, some for Southern Europe...It is difficult to talk about the apple market in general. The market can sometimes evolve in surprising ways.”
The Blue Whale team at Fruit Attraction. Left to right: Frédéric Alonso, Dina Abella, Christophe Belloc, Alain Vialaret, Marc Peyres and Laurent Maldes
For more information:
Marc Peyres
Blue Whale
1205 Avenue de Falguières
82004 Montauban Cedex
Phone: +33 (0)5 63 21 56 56
marc@blue-whale.com
www.blue-whale.com