Switzerland:
Mango imports up more than 50 percent in 5 years
In Switzerland, exotic fruits are becoming increasingly popular. The Federal Office of Agriculture briefly describes four exotics with a particularly strong import growth.
Avocados: The global trendy fruit is also becoming increasingly popular in Switzerland. In 2017, with 14.7 million kg, twice as many avocados were imported as five years earlier. The value of avocado imports has even tripled during this time, as prices have risen significantly.
Mangoes: Mango imports increased significantly in the period from 2012 to 2017 from 9.3 to 14 million kg (+50.5%). This means that more mangoes have been imported since 2014 than kiwis (2017: 11.7 million kg). The mango imports also include cut and dried mangoes. In the period 2012-17, they accounted for around 5% of total imports each year and cost an average of 9.59 CHF/kg at the border about three times more than the unprocessed goods (2.53 CHF/kg).
Kakis: In the last five years, imports of kakis have steadily increased (+ 44%). This is due to the sharp increase in import volumes from Spain. The variety Persimmon, which has a firm pulp, apparently scores well with the consumer. The second biggest supply of kakis comes from Italy. Italian kakis are not benefiting from the uptrend, but remained at the import level of 1.1 to 1.5 million kg in 2012-17.
Pomegranates: Imports of pomegranates in 2017 amounted to 2.6 million kg, which is more than twice as much as five years earlier (2012: 1.2 million kg). Most pomegranates are still imported unprocessed. Nevertheless, the pomegranate imports show a convenience trend: the imported volumes of pomegranate arils, which are around four times more expensive, have increased noticeably since 2015. In 2017, they accounted for about 8% of total imports of this fruit (2012: 1%).
[ 1 Swiss Franc = 0,847 euros ]
Source: BLW Market Report March 2018
