"Right now, the top fruit market is in a difficult position," observes Randy Dijksman of Combilo. He attributes this to a long-term development in which cooperatives are no longer dominant. "There are now numerous individual selling parties operating, and supply is highly fragmented. Naturally, each party tries to achieve the best possible price. At the same time, information moves incredibly fast. Price information spreads quickly among growers, and everyone interprets it in their own way. As a result, there is no unified strategy, something we desperately need in a season like this."
© Combilo BV
"Yesterday, the European stock figures as of 1 March were published. These figures are clear and show a worryingly large stock of pears, especially in the Netherlands. Belgium still operates more from the traditional auction mindset and simply clears pears at the market price. The Netherlands is clearly far behind schedule, and price pressure is high there, something that, in my experience, is not justified. We see many pears that appear good in storage, but fail to meet expectations after sorting and packing. Of course, we tend to think this only applies to our neighbour's pears, while our own are fine. The advice is therefore to take samples regularly, bring them to room temperature, or, if necessary, remove a few storage crates and have them sorted. Only then does it become clear how the batch will perform, and only then can the price be properly determined."
© Combilo BV
Fish eyes
"Above all, this season we are dealing with predominantly green pears with high sugar content. These are conditions that can lead to storage problems such as fish eyes," Randy continues. "Fortunately, there is still a buyer for every quality at the moment. However, over the past three weeks, I have noticed that we cross the line too often, leading to complaints. We try to negotiate better prices for higher-quality fruit, but, as always, the large volume of inferior quality on the market prevents this. Nor do I expect the current stock levels to allow us to recover. We are too far behind, and time is working against us. Trading companies have already started culling their own stocks and will look to purchase additional volumes later on."
"We ourselves are one of the larger pear importers from the Southern Hemisphere. We are seeing a very clear shift in preference from Eastern Europe towards imported pears. The Williams BC season is almost finished, and we began with Packham last week. This is performing well above expectations, and it is a relief to work with strong, trouble-free pears," says Dijksman. "Nevertheless, we remain committed to finishing the Conference season well. In my view, it is still the best pear available, and with the right strategy, there is still plenty of potential to boost sales. It is also worth mentioning that a variety like Xenia has benefited exceptionally from the current situation this season. The harvest was larger than ever, yet sales are going very well. Xenia offers a stable and strong alternative, and we have successfully run promotions in many countries."
© Combilo BV
Opportunities for Jonagold later in the season
As far as Elstar is concerned, the situation is largely the same. Here, stock levels are less of a concern, but quality variation remains significant. As soon as a batch of apples loses its essential firmness, sales become very difficult. We are not active in this segment ourselves, but I hear from market participants that supply and demand are currently in balance. Prices may be disappointing, but there is always demand for high-quality fruit, and a positive end to the season is still possible. I also expect strong opportunities for the Jonagold group later in the marketing season. In Poland, quality issues are steadily increasing, and other major apple-producing countries are also carrying out significant culling. I expect that only high-quality Jonagold-type varieties will remain available during the summer months. We have also stopped re-exporting Polish apples. The season was already challenging, and unfortunately, the situation has not improved. It is a more than disappointing end to a difficult season," concludes Randy.
For more information:
Randy Dijksman
Combilo
Transportweg 23
2742 RH Waddinxveen
Tel: +31 (0)180 446 747
[email protected]
www.combilo.nl
