There is a huge demand for dates during the festive season. "Bonbon Super Juicy dates, which we sell as frozen treats, are particularly popular," says Yotam Shlomo of Shlomo Farm. This Israeli date grower has a large harvest this year. "We have more premium dates and larger sizes."
In 1992, Yotam's father started one of Israel's biggest Medjool farms. Six years ago, Yotam opened an import office in the Netherlands. Shlomo Farm also has a sales office in Portugal to serve Southern Europe. The company divides its dates into four quality classes: Premium, Choice, Selected, and Basic. They package the product in 500 g, 1 kg, and 5 kg boxes, with private-label options available. According to the grower, date prices remain very stable throughout the year.
Harvesting at Shlomo Farm began in August in the Arava Valley, in southern Israel. The company, though, increasingly sources export dates from fellow growers. "For packaging, we work with the world's largest date packing facility. It packs 13,000 tons of product annually, and uses the latest Elisam optical sorting machines. Those carefully select the dates for external and internal quality," says Yotam.
© Shlomo Farm
Frozen treats
With Bonbon Super Juicy dates, Shlomo has a unique product. In the late 1990s, Yotam's father began testing a new product: frozen Medjool dates. "Unlike, say, Bahri dates, which must be stored in the cold chain at 4°C, Medjool dates keep for a long time at -18 degrees. They usually freeze rock hard, but my father noticed that some dates retained their soft texture even when frozen. You can, therefore, eat them like ice cream. It's a luxury product, and they're particularly popular in France."
"The demand for dates rises every year," Yotam points out. "Most dates used to be sold to ethnic target groups. Nowadays, more people are aware of their health benefits. And they're increasingly being used as, for example, sports supplements; an area where I think there's still room for growth. Dates are a healthy snack packed with vitamins and energy, which makes them appealing to athletes and young people."
© Shlomo Farm
He is, thus, confident about the date market's future. "We're seeing healthy annual growth. And there are still many Europeans who've never eaten dates, so there's almost endless potential. Companies interested in the best dates at the best price should contact us," Yotam concludes.
For more information:
Yotam Shlomo
Shlomo Farm
10 Prinses Irene Lane
1421 AP, Uithoorn The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0) 623 229 602
[email protected]
www.shlomofarm.nl
