Despite the Peruvian grape season nearing its end, sales are still going well at Dijk Foods in Belgium. "We're currently working exclusively with those grapes. There's enough supply coming from South Africa, but we've stopped with that," says Henk Vlaeminck. "Grapes are quite expensive, especially in these difficult times, but consumers seem to increasingly appreciate their convenience."
Prices are slightly lower than last year, Henk explains. "Then, prices were sky-high and could hardly climb anymore. This year's prices are nice, and it all looks great, quality-wise, too. About 80% of our supply comprises white grapes and 20% red. The white Arra varieties and for example Autumncrisp are a bit larger and crispier. That's what consumers want, which is why these sell better," he says.
At Van Dijk Foods, the grape season will continue for two to three weeks, and then there will be a gap. "We'll have to wait for the European supply to start arriving in June. That leaves us without grapes for a while. Though, in these last few weeks, sales are fantastic."
"Citrus, too, is pricier than before, but I don't know if that's connected. These sales have been good since the summer, even though there's plenty of 'cheap' stone fruit available. Yet people continued to prefer grapes then, too. I think one reason lies in the changing buying behavior of, especially, younger consumers," Henk continues.
"They want an easy snack, and the
seedless varieties are effortless to eat. You can't eat the stems; other than that, you can eat them by the handful."
Catching up to soft fruit
Whereas the grape season is winding down, Vlaeminck expects the soft fruit supply to gradually get going next week. "The colder weather in Spain means there will be a two-month shortage of fruits like blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries," he says.
"However, the temperatures have completely turned around, so they're catching up. Next week, I think there'll be a slight surplus of particularly strawberries. More blueberries are also coming in again, and raspberries will undoubtedly follow. Since it's 25°C in southern Europe now, all the fruit that didn't ripen with the cold will probably come this way now," concludes Henk.
For more information:
Henk Vlaeminck
Van Dijk Foods
50 Kempenare Street
2860, Sint-Katelijne-Waver, BE
Tel: +32 (0) 155 56 561
Email: henk@vdfb.be
Website: www.vandijkfoods.be