Europe Edition
Spanish shipments predominated as far as clementines were concerned. At times, they seemed to have a monopoly. Moroccan Nour, whose presence had noticeably increased, appeared here and there. Their organoleptic properties were good, so that usually sales were brisk. Italian citrus fruits with leaf supplemented the markets in small quantities. In the satsumas sector, Turkish imports expanded.
Evenly paced, business was quiet. Spanish offers rounded off the range of goods. Mandarin availability was almost over: a few South African and Italian batches were flanked by Turkish and Chilean ones. Overall, the demand had intensified as a result of the low temperatures. However, since supply had also increased, no fundamental price increases could be derived from this. From time to time, prices even dropped, but not too much.
Apples
A wide range of products was available, in which domestic items continued to have the greatest importance.
Pears
Business was steady but leisurely. The demand was quite limited and this could easily be met. Italian Abate Fetel, Santa Maria, and Williams Christ remained expensive due to initial purchases.
Table grapes
Italian batches obviously dominated the market: Italia, Crimson Seedless and Michele Palieri were predominant. Price increases resulted mostly from the increased supply of fruit packed in winter packs.
Oranges
Spanish navelina outperformed the competition in terms of volume. Italian and Greek navelina and Spanish navel were complementary at best.
Lemons
Spanish deliveries predominated here: Primofiori were increasingly sold in a variety of presentations, with the 15-kg container still being dominant.
Bananas
Sales were quiet, with prices developing quite unevenly, depending on the market.
Cauliflower
Sales improved in places as a result of the low temperatures. It was therefore fortunate that the availability of Italian and French goods had expanded.
Lettuce
Iceberg lettuce came in exclusively from Spain. Shipments had been somewhat limited, but were generally sufficient to meet demand. All in all, however, prices trended upwards.
Cucumbers
Spanish snake cucumbers predominated, Belgian, Greek and Dutch cucumbers supplemented the event, but by no means in all grades. The first Moroccan imports arrived.
Tomatoes
A varied assortment continued to be available, in which Turkish deliveries increased. In general, no clear trends could be discerned with regard to prices.
Sweet peppers
Spanish batches dominated, more so than Turkish and Moroccan goods. Once dominant Dutch and Belgian batches only played a minimal role.
Source: BLE
