"Currently, we are supplying frozen berries, plum puree in barrels from Serbia, and fruit distillates from Bosnia to the EU. The prices for the frozen fruits have fallen dramatically, especially for raspberries. In the last two years, raspberry prices were so high that they were partly sorted out of the markets. Currently, the prices are again too low. During the peak phase, the prices were between 6.50 and 7.00 EUR/kg, now the price is at 2.40 EUR/kg," says Anneliese Vollweiler, Managing Director of Anevo Trading GmbH. The berry expert has been cooperating with companies in the Balkans for 40 years, mainly in Serbia and recently also in the Republic of Moldova, North Macedonia, Bosnia and other countries.
Photos: Anevo Trading GmbH
"So far, we have mainly offered goods from Serbia and have now received new orders from Bosnia, Macedonia, and Romania. In Romania, there are facilities with several 100 hectares of fresh fruits, especially plums. There, we will enter the fresh fruit sector with our representative, with whom we have been working for 18 years. Previously, we mainly did business with him in the field of plant oils. In March, we will take a tour through Romania with him to look at the situation on the ground, i.e., plantations, cold stores, packing companies, certifications, etc. We will also examine the Republic of Moldova in April. It is important to us to work with appropriate locals in the respective source areas," says Vollweiler.
Wild fruits from Ukraine
"The low-price situation will probably lead some companies to have to give up their business. In addition, Ukraine once exported 35,000 to 40,000 tons of raspberries, which are missing due to the unfortunately ongoing war. Other products are strawberries, blackberries, and especially wild berries. Ukraine will continue to be able to deliver, but people there depend on gathering wild fruits to survive," Vollweiler knows. The frozen goods currently offered by Anevo Trading are sourced exclusively from Serbia. "We want to offer good goods that are sprayed as little as possible. We work with a laboratory called SP Laboratorija, which belongs to the Hamilton Group. The SP Lab is one of the best labs in the Balkans. There, 170 highly educated people work on 2,500 sqm, doing very good work." The main customer countries of the Anevo company are Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and France. An expansion of Anevo's presence in the French market is also planned.
Cultivation of new varieties in Serbia
The quality of the frozen raspberries is satisfactory, but she criticizes that too many pesticides are still used. "The fruits are sprayed with cocktails, partly seven to ten different pesticides, which they actually don't need. To counteract this, we will in future also work with the Cacak Institute, which is known, among other things, for the development of all Cacak varieties such as Cacak's Beautiful, Cacak's Early etc. With Prof. Dr. Aleksandar Leposavić we have already made contact in the raspberry sector and plan to establish new varieties such as Haroma, President and Presenta in Serbia. The Haroma variety seems to be well received. We want to start with a pilot project of about 100 trees to observe how the yield develops and the soil is compatible with the variety. We are trying to support the local fruit growers with a GlobalG.A.P. certification and thus build a long-term partnership. We have been working with some producers and cold stores since 1983," says the managing director.
The market is picking up again
According to her, the current transport costs are still within a reasonable range. However, a meeting with all transporters is planned soon to negotiate appropriate prices and quantities and thus secure their transport capacities. "The good thing is that the market is currently picking up a bit and the supermarkets are refraining from exercising their power too much. The retail chains also rely on many promotions that work with consumers, which in turn stimulates the market. The good weather with the snow also means that the hotel and restaurant industry is being brought back on track, which can be seen from the many orders in the skiing areas of Austria and Switzerland. The "Top Five" of the most popular products are raspberries, blackberries, cherries, apricots and plums."
New challenges
Despite the successes, one must always be on guard. "There are many providers and competitors in the market who have well-structured websites, but for example do not know the difference between CP (Critical Point) and CCP (Critical Control Point). These points already indicate whether a provider is certified or not. Other terms such as Food Fraud and Food Defense should be checked in detail and controlled at the origin. You can't simply believe everything that is written on some websites. With the help of AI, it has become easier to present your own company better. But in reality, there is often not much behind it. This poses a challenge where one is forced to look even more closely at the respective companies."
The current protests in Germany are causing further unrest among Serbian and other Eastern European producers. "The fact that there are so many and broadly based strikes in Germany, one of the leading economic countries in the EU, gives cause for great concern and worry. I receive calls from some suppliers who are concerned about the decline in production volumes of about 10 to 20 percent in the EU food industry, which is also related to the mood in Germany. Many producers from the Balkans will therefore also be at trade fairs such as Fruit Logistica and Biofach to observe the mood," Vollweiler knows.
Many investments in blueberry plants
Despite these circumstances, the long-standing trader is full of energy. "We continue our path undeterred and work on new projects in Serbia, where we want to cultivate fresh plums and blueberries. With blueberries, we focus on early varieties that should come onto the market at the end of May/beginning of June and on late varieties at the end of August/September. A lot has been invested in blueberry plants in both Serbia and Romania - a new club variety, SEQUOIA, is now being cultivated in Serbia."
For more information:
Anneliese Vollweiler
ANEVO Trading GmbH
Fraunhoferstraße 16
D-91058 Erlangen
Phone: +49 (0) 9131 6108673
Mobile: +49 (0) 170 581 7970
Email: info@anevo.de
Web: www.anevo-trading.com