Even after the New Year, the grape market continues to perform well at Van Dijk Foods. "We have had a good January so far. Normally, the second or third week of January is a bit quieter until Fruit Logistica, but this year it has not been too bad. The first two weeks were even extremely busy, and now it has fortunately settled into a pleasantly busy pace," Henk Vlaeminck of the Flemish importer says with a laugh.
© Henk Vlaeminck
"We have not actually seen the traditional dip," he continues. "Peruvian supply is performing very well, especially white grapes. Red grapes were under pressure for a while, but white grapes were readily available and of excellent quality. Volumes were reasonable, and because demand also remained strong, the market was well balanced. An ideal situation, really. Strong sales at good prices. There was a shortage this week due to reduced supply from Peru, but from next week that should normalise again. Prices have risen slightly as a result, but overall, we are working with stable prices and few major fluctuations. I expect this to continue."
In terms of quality, the importer has no concerns so far. "Overall, Peruvian quality is very good. We do not work with South African grapes ourselves, but I hear there have been more issues there. That is also why we only work with Peru, although the origins are difficult to compare. Peruvian grapes are fuller, and in my view, tastier and crisper, which makes direct comparison with other origins difficult. Many customers also prefer Peru these days. In the past, we stopped handling South African grapes, and many others have followed that choice. Everyone is willing to pay for good quality."
The Peruvian season continues at Van Dijk Foods until about May. "I expect few problems with delivery or quality. As long as we work with experienced suppliers who understand how to ship products to Europe, we should be able to carry these sales through smoothly until then."
Lower supply of Spanish citrus
In addition to grapes, citrus from Spain currently dominates the importer's business, although volumes are somewhat less buoyant. "Due to poor weather in Spain, there are shortages of certain products from time to time, such as clementines and oranges, but this is slowly starting to normalise. Overall, supply is lower than in other years, so prices are slightly higher. Demand is good, prices are stable, and the market remains well balanced. The weather can sometimes affect quality, but so far, we are satisfied. Suppliers pay close attention to quality, as poor quality is immediately reflected in price. That is why products are carefully selected at source. Volumes may be lower, but what does arrive can be sold at a good price."
Van Dijk Foods, part of Group A. De Witte, will also be present at the upcoming Fruit Logistica. They can be found, together with ADW Fresh Trade, in hall 27, stand A-51
For more information:
Henk Vlaeminck
Van Dijk Foods
Kempenarestraat 50
2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Tel: +32 15 55 65 61
[email protected]
www.vandijkfoods.be
