The mandarin season now appears to be entering its final stretch: availability has dropped noticeably. The quality of the offerings was also no longer consistently impressive. Finally, demand also declined significantly. Spanish loads dominated the market, with Nadorcott and Tangold being the primary varieties available. According to the German BLE, Israeli Orri followed in terms of importance and, due to its continued very appealing organoleptic properties, still had the most proponents.
© BLE
Moroccan and Turkish shipments decreased; in some places, the loads had already disappeared from the market. Egyptian imports rounded out the market: Murcott apples cost between 15 and 18 EUR per 10-kg box in Frankfurt. While demand existed, purchases were limited to meeting immediate needs. Prices often trended slightly downward, as sellers sought to avoid large surpluses.
Click here for the full market and price report.
Apples
Domestic Elstar, Braeburn, and Boskoop once again formed the basis of the supply. Jonagold, Wellant, and Topaz lost ground, as did Tenroy and Holsteiner Cox. Italy mainly supplied Golden Delicious and Granny Smith. In terms of price, no significant changes were observed.
Pears
Italian offerings in the form of Abate Fetel, Williams Christ, and Santa Maria apparently lost market share. The presence of other European loads also declined: Conference pears from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands played an increasingly smaller role. Instead, customers were able to rely more heavily on South African imports.
Table Grapes
South African shipments continued to expand and clearly dominated the market. Shipments from Peru and Namibia supplemented the supply. In addition, Chilean loads were available in some cases. The first Indian Thompson Seedless grapes were shipped directly to food retailers in Hamburg.
Oranges
The end of the season is clearly approaching: while availability was still sufficient to meet the weakening demand, a reduction in supply was unmistakable. Spanish oranges predominated, followed in importance by Egyptian and Turkish varieties.
Lemons
Spanish shipments dominated and were available almost exclusively in some markets. Turkish and Italian loads supplemented the supply in isolated cases. Demand had strengthened at times, but this did not fundamentally affect pricing. Prices mostly remained constant, provided the quality of the offerings was satisfactory.
Bananas
Supply and demand generally balance each other out sufficiently. In Hamburg, storage capacity had improved somewhat following the end of the holidays. In Munich, too, customers were buying more as a result of the spring-like temperatures.
Cauliflower
The assortment was led by Italian loads, with French and Spanish supplies following in terms of volume. A few Belgian loads rounded out the product range. Overall availability had decreased. Prices trended upward, particularly heading into the weekend.
Lettuce
Iceberg lettuce came exclusively from Spain. Its quality was sporadically inconsistent, leading to a widening price range in Munich. In general, prices trended downward rather than upward due to increased availability. For mixed leaf lettuce, French and Italian supplies were primarily available.
Cucumbers
Dutch and Belgian cucumbers dominated over domestic ones. The Spanish loads, which had previously been heavily represented, now served only as a supplement. Availability had expanded slightly and was sufficient to meet demand. Prices mostly showed a downward trend, with some discounts being quite substantial.
Tomatoes
Trading was relatively mixed: in some places, availability had to be described as rather tight, but in others, supplies were quite plentiful. Accordingly, no clear trend could be discerned in price developments.
Bell Peppers
Spanish shipments continued to dominate the market. After the first Dutch and Belgian shipments arrived last week, their availability has since increased: In Hamburg and Berlin, the intensified supply has led to price reductions among the Spanish competitors.
Source: BLE
