The European berry season is gradually picking up speed, according to Hasan Atula, berry specialist at Hilden Wholesale Market and owner of the company of the same name. "We mainly deal with Dutch strawberries. I would describe the campaign so far and the current demand as satisfactory. The price structure for strawberries is currently quite stable and slightly above last year's level." From week 23 onwards, the company will also be offering its first regional strawberries from the Heinsberg area.
© Atula e.K.
In addition to strawberries, raspberries are currently dominating sales at Atula's stand. "The first Dutch raspberries are arriving this week. Until now, we have mainly supplied our customers with produce from Morocco and Spain. However, due to weather conditions, the quality of the produce has not always been satisfactory, resulting in strong fluctuations in sales." However, the fruit wholesaler adds that the decline in quality has had only a minimal impact on prices.
© Atula e.K.
A look at the company's selection of berry fruits
Downward trend for German blueberries and currants
Meanwhile, the blueberry harvest in the Northern Hemisphere is now in full swing. Atula: "There was encouraging demand for blueberries throughout the winter. The quality of overseas produce, whether from Peru or Chile, was also consistently good and stable. At the start of the Moroccan season at the end of February, followed by Spain from mid-March, there were no more surpluses from overseas, so we had a fairly seamless transition between seasons this year."
© Atula e.K.
In northwestern Europe, too, the start of the harvest is not far off. "We expect the first deliveries from domestic and Dutch growers in mid- to late June. However, it should be noted that there tends to be fewer German blueberries for the free market, i.e., the wholesale markets." Atula is observing a similar downward trend for currants. "In the Netherlands, protected cultivation is growing strongly, while many German fruit farms have moved away from currants. This is because it is very difficult to produce high-quality produce in open-field cultivation, not to mention the high cultivation risks."
© Atula e.K.
A look inside the company's new premises at the Hilden wholesale market. It now has modern storage space (left) and office space.
Doubling of floor space
Hasan Atula e.K. emerged from its predecessor company, Christoph Kotz, in 2021. The company focuses on a wide variety of berries, but also other seasonal items. Together with several wholesale market colleagues, Atula moved into a brand-new location in CityDock Hilden at the turn of the year. "Despite the distance from our old location, many customers have remained loyal to us. What's more, we now have state-of-the-art premises and have been able to roughly double our usable space."
For more information:
Hasan Atula
Hasan Atula e.K.
Hilden Wholesale Market
Tel: +49 211 427788
Fax: +49 211 4201431
[email protected]
www.atula.de
