April is traditionally marked by the transition of the season in the areas of fruiting vegetables and salads. "The presence of Dutch and Belgian tomatoes is now visibly expanding. Winter tomatoes, on the other hand, have been too expensive due to high energy prices," says Evangelos Pergaminos of the fruit agency Frugalis & more Ltd., based at the wholesale market in Munich. Meanwhile, the first German tomatoes are arriving on the market, but in limited quantities, he further says.
Meanwhile, tomatoes and other vegetables continue to hit the market from Spain, whose quality is increasingly less than convincing, according to Pergaminos. "In terms of price, Spanish goods are definitely interesting, but for us, the quality, as well as the service around our products, is in the foreground. This is also particularly important to our clientele, the regional gastronomy."
Evangelos Pergaminos, owner of Frugalis & more Handels- und Servicegesellschaft, founded in 2010.
Good quality characterizes Spanish lettuce imports
Furthermore, iceberg and mixed lettuce characterize the basic assortment of Frugalis & more. "The bulk of the goods still come from Spain, but soon we will take off with domestic lettuces. Lettuce, of course, is extremely sensitive compared to tomatoes and fruit vegetables, which is why it usually becomes more difficult to offer imported goods of good quality at the end of the season. But we can still get Spanish produce of almost perfect quality at slightly falling prices," says Pergaminos.
The high vegetable prices continue to make themselves felt in the Munich wholesale market. Pergaminos: "Prices for many items have already been high and stable since Christmas. The usual seasonal price reduction normally felt around this time of year has not yet occurred."
Corona and Ukraine crisis
The import agency, founded in 2010, mainly assists regional restaurateurs. "We don't want to expand our range too much and focus on what we do well, so we can always offer the usual quality and service around it." Bavarian restaurants have weathered the Corona crisis well overall, Pergaminos further concludes. "There have been very few bankruptcies within our clientele. Those that were financially sound before the crisis mostly got by with short-time work and financial aid."
Although they are now already facing the next crisis, i.e., the Ukraine war and its effects, Pergaminos is overall positive about the future. "I don't expect a big downward trend because, despite the inflation, the consequences of the war have so far been manageable for our industry. What would give us a boost now would be nice, spring-like weather," he concludes.
For more information:
Evangelos Pergaminos
Frugalis & more Handels- und Servicegesellschaft mbH
Großmarkt München
Mob.: +49 178 255 255 9
Tel.: +49 89 219 674 95
Fax: +49 89 219 674 96
Email: [email protected]
www.frugalisandmore.de