Belgian company Van Dijk Foods is preparing to switch to the new overseas season. The last Italian shipments will arrive at the importer in the next few weeks. There seems to be a nice overlap with Peruvian supply, says Henk Vlaeminck. "Italian seedless grapes, mainly red varieties, are available now, but in the seeded category, it will take another two to three weeks," he begins.
The trader says the Italian season was excellent despite lower yields. "It was fantastic with prices on the high side all season. They remain so even now, toward the last few weeks. With the seeded varieties, prices dropped briefly due to lower demand, but that recovered nicely in the last three weeks."
"The seedless varieties are becoming noticeably increasingly dominant. About 80% of what we work with is seedless, and only about 20% is still seeded. However, with both, quality has been top-notch. Especially in the new varieties, like Autumn Crisp, the flavor's been superb," says Henk.
"The only blight on the Italian season was the volumes. The heat in southern Europe barely affected the grapes' quality, but we did notice lower volumes being sent. That, and quick sales, meant everything ran out somewhat sooner than planned. We, thus, finished slightly earlier than other years."
30% less volume from Peru
According to Henk, that is not even such a bad thing. "Italy went on a bit longer in other years, and Peru came to market just a little too early. Now, we should be able to transition to the overseas season seamlessly," he says. It is a season which he again has high hopes for regarding quality.
"Quality-wise, Peruvian grapes have always been celebrated. Especially the Autumn Crisp, which are slightly larger and thus somewhat pricier. Nonetheless, they're super popular with our customers and are also the varieties we work with from Italy, so we can sell them nicely. People are willing to pay, too."
"Peru will probably, however, send 30% fewer grapes to Europe this season, especially of the seedless varieties. I think that's because they had somewhat lower yields, but mainly because many other markets are demanding those grapes. Still, we'll get through the season well. Grapes sell like hotcakes all year round. Because of their ease of use and flavor, grapes gain a fruit market share every year," Henk concludes.
For more information:
Henk Vlaeminck
Van Dijk Foods
50 Kempenare Street
2860, Sint-Katelijne-Waver, BE
Tel: +32 (0) 155 56 561
Email: henk@vdfb.be
Website: www.vandijkfoods.be