This year's soft fruit season is slowly but surely picking up speed. After the official end of the asparagus season, the eyes are now gradually turning to other exclusive products, says Erdal Dogan, owner of the FruechteKick GmbH based in Cologne's wholesale market. "The sales of domestic strawberries is also weaker and their prices are much higher this year, compared to last year. By contrast, German cherries now have a very strongly presence on the market and we are already noticing that cherries of the right sizes are now increasingly entering the market." 
Left: Apricots of French brand JMB Fruits.
Right: Fresh cherries from the Koblenz region.
Matching fruit size increasingly available
The experienced fruit merchant buys his sweet cherries primarily from the Koblenz region. "The growers there are about 10 days earlier at getting the right fruit sizes, compared to the Rhine-Ruhr area," said Dogan, who mainly supplies specialist retailers within a 60 km radius.
Erdal Dogan supplies some brands exclusively at the Cologne Wholesale Market. In addition to French stone fruits from JMB Fruits, his complete asparagus range is procured exclusively from Walbecker Asparagus. In the picture, an employee of the firm shows the plump cherries from the Koblenz area.
Orangered apricots
Cherries are not the only top product of the company, says Dogan. The company exclusively represents the French brand JMB Fruits at the Cologne wholesale market. "About 2 weeks ago we got the first apricots from local cultivation. Now, the better varieties, such as the Orangered, are gradually coming on the market.
For more information:
FruechteKick GmbH
Inh. Erdal Dogan
Marktstraße 10
Stand 12/14
50968 Köln (Großmarkt)
Tel. Nr.: 0049 (0) 221 93 47 88 0 (Zentrale)
Fax Nr.: 0049 (0) 221 93 47 88 6
Mail: info@fruechtekick.de
www.fruechtekick.de