At BeFair Bio, the South African organic citrus season has now been underway for over 2.5 months. "The season did start differently from last year, when the lower European harvest meant the trade was pulled out from under you before it even arrived, there is a bit less of that now," Roelant Komen says.
"For example, European organic yellow lemons were available for a very long time this year. Now, European ones are running out and customers are switching to South Africa and Chile. Meanwhile, demand is starting to loosen up nicely. Prices for overseas lemons are also a lot higher than European ones, which is also causing slower sales."
"Also, the season of organic Valencia oranges is now well underway. There are still some leftover European ones here too, but they are running out. In grapefruit imports, we had to deal for a while with nothing in South Africa for two to three weeks because of bad weather. That did make for a clean market, including the less desirable coarse sizes," Roelant continued.
A year and a half ago, BeFair Bio launched in Poeldijk. "We came from a time when high inflation put pressure on organic sales, but I must say we are very satisfied with the sales. Last year, we were very busy with the start-up, but by now customers know how to find us. . The market is showing an upward trend, both from retail and specialised organic shops. Consumers are really choosing organic again, and we see that in several countries."
Meanwhile, the company has invested in its own organic mango farm in Peru, where it will grow Kent mangoes on some 20 hectares of land. "In December, we expect the first mangoes," Roelant says. "With our own production, we offer ourselves an important basis for product availability and are less dependent on others. Last year, we saw in mangoes how important that was and for that reason we also started to plant our own organic ginger elsewhere in Peru. We expect the first harvest in mid-2025."
For more information:
Roelant Komen
BeFair Bio B.V.
Poeldijk
Tel.: +31 (0)61907 5650
Email: [email protected]