Due to the shortage of French pears on the market this year, it would be reasonable to think that the other origins would take advantage of the situation. At the moment however, for the Rocha pear, the reality is very different. “The Rocha pear harvest is almost normal, and the supply is even higher than last year. As for the quality, we are also very satisfied. The sugar content is interesting and the pears are holding well. Given this data and the strong deficit of French pears on the market, we were expecting Rocha pear prices to be much higher. However, there is tremendous pressure to buy Rocha pears, and there is a huge gap between the prices of French and Portuguese pears, which is very difficult to comprehend,” explains Eric Tastayre, manager of Apifood.
Nevertheless, since the beginning of the harvest, there is a continuous flow of sales and the demand is high. “We have 20% more sales than last year.”
It is not so clear why the Rocha prices are not in line with the shortage of French supply, but Eric Tastayre thinks that the situation will gradually improve as the season progresses. “Given the situation in France, we started the season fifteen days earlier than usual, during the second week of September. And at the beginning, many operators are present on the market. The margins are difficult and we have to tighten our belts to keep the market. The competition is more fierce and the prices are not always in line with the situation on the market. All the operators, especially the small producers, do not necessarily sell according to the market. This can have consequences on the selling price, as it is the case here. But the situation should improve within a month, when there will be less competition and we will be able to readjust the prices to their fair value.”
For more information:
Eric Tastayre
Apifood
Bâtiment administratif
Marché Gare
82030 Montauban
Phone: +33 5 63 20 22 50
Mobile: +33 6 07 59 03 75
eric@apifood.com
apifood.com