The French strawberry season has just begun. “For now, all the main lines and purchasing centers want Spanish origin for the round strawberry, but the Gariguette remains a true French specialty,” explains Jérémy Hachemi, president of Mondial Fruits. The famous Gariguette has been on the shelves for a few weeks now.
“Regarding the Gariguette, we have volumes and a good quality as well this year.” As for the demand, Jérémy is expecting a lot of the weeks ahead. “Some promotional offers are going to be put in place for Easter week and the beginning of May. This will give the demand a boost.”
According to Jérémy, the main competitor for the French strawberry is the Spanish one. “It dominates the industrial market and the discount market. Spanish strawberries are cheaper, but they do not have the same level of taste as the French strawberries. On the fresh market, the French consumer wants a French product, tasty and preferably local. So the difference in price is not really significant.”
The effects of Brexit
Mondial Fruits specializes in products from southwestern France. The products are sold on the national market and (for the most part) exported, especially to Germany and England. Jérémy already feels the effects of Brexit. “It is mostly the logistics that got complicated. There are not a lot of trucks that want to drive up, because transportation companies have difficulty in finding returns to France. Financially, we are faced with capital gains and irregularities in flows.”
Developing the organic range
For Mondial Fruits, this year’s objective is to develop their organic range. “We are open to contacting any producer who wants to enter a partnership with us.” The company wants to develop its organic range because of the high demand from its clientele. “There is a real desire for diversification. The organic market is a promising market, less competitive, with better margins for the operators, and also for the producers.”
Mondial Fruits was created in 2014. 80% of its clients are supermarkets, and 20% are wholesalers. The sales office is located at Castelsarrasin.
For more information: 
Jérémy Hachemi
Mondial Fruits
1529 Route de Toulouse
F-82100 Castelsarrasin
Phone: 0033 9 82 12 47 03
Mobile: 0033 6 16 18 34 77
Fax: 0033 5 17 47 52 06
jeremy.hachemi@gmail.com
www.mondialfruits.com