Pineapple produces in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic say the exporting of pineapples without the crown, which allows two extra pineapples in a box, is not a new concept, and they have learned from experience that many markets are not ready to compensate them. This follows after Dutch retailer Albert Heijn recently announced the sale of crownless pineapples.
The crowns, while making transport lighter, are also still preferred as a good aesthetic and sign of the health of the fruit in many markets, exporters say.
Jose Carlos Chaves, responsible for Commercial Sales at the Costa Rican pineapple grower and exporter Tropicales Del Valle, says "At the moment we do not supply Albert Heijn directly, but we do work crownless pineapples with other supermarkets, however, it is a business that is more oriented towards the process or the IV range, since many years ago. If you want to sell the complete pineapple, the crowns are still an attraction if they are in good condition, since it makes the fruit look better, with a more aesthetic appearance as long as the crowns are turgid and healthy. However, it is fruit, and there are times when the crowns are actually filled with fungus or become brown at destination and this, for example in certain supermarkets, especially the German ones, is a reason for rejection.
"The idea of exporting without the crown is good and also from the freight point of view, we export pineapple without crowns to Israel by air (due to their regulation), therefore the market is already used to it. There is also a price issue, a 6s caliber pineapple carries 6 pineapples, if you cut the crown, that same box in that same caliber would carry two more pineapples, 6(8) and many times it is difficult for customers to pay the price they should. So then you lose two more pineapples and increase the packing cost by having to employ a crew of people to cut crowns."
The pineapple fields of Tropicales Del Valle in Costa Rica.
Kisha Rodriguez Then, from the pineapple producer Caralinda Agroindustrial in the Dominican Republic, says they export crownless pineapples to Israel. "It is by request to export the fruit crownless for Israel. In our case we use those crowns as planting seeds and we have fields that are grown from these crowns."
She says to work around the heavier and more expensive box due to the extra two pineapples they use smaller boxes. "The theme with exporting crownless is that if you pack in the 12 kg net standard box, the box takes two pineapples more than if it had pineapples with the crown. This makes the box heavier and more expensive, in the case of Israel, we have a smaller 10.5 kg net box, which is special to work the pineapples without a crown."
For more information:
Jose Carlos Chaves
Tropicales del Valle
Tel: +506 2239 9696
Email: jcchaves@tropicalesdelvalle.com
www.tropicalesdelvalle.com
Kisha Rodriguez
Caralinda Agroindustrial
Tel: +1 82 986 8488
Email: krodriguezthen@caralindaagroindustrial.com
www.caralindaagroindustrial.com