Mid-August 2021, the German fruit import company disFruta Fruchtimport moved to a new warehouse at Freshpark in Venlo with a cooling area of 2580 square metres and six entrances, according to managing director Ersan Yildizak. He also spoke about the current situation of figs, pears and quinces from Turkey.
"We have already started selling the Sultana grapes. In principle, however, the winter season is also starting gradually. First we offer fresh black figs, then we continue with Santa Maria pears and stone pears, then quinces," Ersan said.
Santa Maria pears
Very good quality figs
According to Ersan, this year's figs are of particularly good quality. "This is due to the good weather this year in Turkey. We started selling them in week 28 and we will probably be able to sell them until week 40. We take about 60-70 pallets of flown-in figs from the Adana region and about 15-20 pallets from the Aydin region."
The figs are very expensive again, also because of the high demand. "Not only in Germany, but also in the Netherlands and at supermarket suppliers in Switzerland, we find good buyers for our products," Ersan says. His company's role as a buyer is decisive here: "As a customer ourselves, we enjoy great confidence among Turkish exporters. In addition, we are in contact with six major suppliers in Turkey."
Figs
Deveci pears sell themselves
Still relatively unknown are the Deveci pears, which Ersan wants to sell more in Germany. "It is a pear that in many parts of Europe has hardly been for sale so far. Turkish growers are cultivating this variety more and more. We want to offer the Deveci varieties in supermarkets through many German wholesale markets this year. Last year we supplied a small part of the food trade with the pears. They were very satisfied and I am convinced that Deveci pears will sell themselves within three years."
Turkey has some of the largest growers of quinces. disFruta offers them too, however Ersan says that the quince does not yet play a major role for the big chains. "Quinces are among the fruits that are eaten when it is colder outside, from about 4 to 5 degrees Celsius. They are on sale around November and December. For the big supermarkets quinces are still relatively uninteresting. It is still mostly a fruit for specialised sellers."
Part of the staff of the disFruta Fruchtimport company (Photo taken before the COVID-19 outbreak)
High turnover, low profit
The Wuppertal-based company supplies wholesale markets and supermarkets throughout Germany. According to Ersan, during the Covid period the entire fruit and vegetable sector had to cope with constant change. "Turnovers did increase, but due to the continuous new Covid regulations, many companies were only able to make a small profit, because some orders were no longer needed and the products then had to be discarded." Despite this, there is also something positive to report: "Turkish products are becoming increasingly popular, as customers and consumers experience and learn more about the products every day."
From week 34, disFruta will offer the first figs from the Bursa region.
For more information:
Ersan Yildizak
disFruta Fruchtimport GmbH
Herzogstraße 28
42103 Wuppertal
+49 202 7475620
info@dis-fruta.de
www.dis-fruta.de