Banagrumes, a multi-specialist fruit wholesaler at Rungis, started marketing kakis of Spanish origin on 5 October: "We work directly with two suppliers in Spain, El Osito in the premium category and TeresÃn in Class 1. This year, there has been a drop in the production (by -20% to -25%), but we haven't been really affected by it so far, as sales have been relatively calm," says Alain Alarcon, President of Banagrumes.
But in the last ten days or so, the demand appears to have picked up. "The market has woken up and customers are coming to us. There is a better turnover of goods, certainly accentuated by this lack of volume. Most of the kakis have already been harvested, which means that we will soon be marketing kakis from storage. Usually, kaki sales accelerate later in the season as Christmas approaches.
As for the average selling price, it is higher at this time than it was last year. "We are selling smaller volumes, but at a higher price. Compared to the previous year, the price differs by almost 30 cents per kilo.
Banagrumes offers its customers two types of kakis: the classic kaki, which is soft at the time of consumption, and the Persimon, which is a hard kaki. "We have been selling kakis for nearly 30 years, and in recent years, we've seen consumer preferences shift towards Persimon kakis, which are also easier to ship, because they are less fragile. But personally, I'd like to also continue offering the classic kakis, which provide very interesting added value, particularly because of their very sweet taste. From a taste point of view, soft kakis are in a world of their own! But it is true that it is more difficult to work with them, because they are more fragile. We sell it in trays, because it is a product that needs to be handled carefully."
For more information:
Alain Alarcon
Banagrumes
Tel: +33 (0)1 45 12 28 40
direction@banagrumes.com
www.banagrumes.com