The European fruit and vegetable campaign is currently marked by contrasts. A low garlic harvest in Spain, potato overproduction in France, and unstable onion prices are setting the mood for these products in the European market. Yohan Lanoë, head of the Lanoë Group, has analyzed the situation from the perspective of this Andalusia-based company affiliated with garlic, onion, asparagus, pear, and potato growers in Spain, France, and Belgium.
"The garlic harvest in Spain has been short in terms of kilos per hectare and with small sizes, which means that the larger sizes demanded for the northern markets will run out earlier and prices could rise," says Yohan, recalling how the previous season finished earlier than expected, so many operators have looked for alternatives in China and Egypt, which have increased their presence in the European market. "However, Spain will once again have a high-quality crop, and even though the supply will be more limited, we will still have enough to provide the European market with locally-grown garlic."
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"In our case, we are working with white and purple garlic of sizes ranging from 45 to 65+, which are very popular in the markets and supermarkets of northern Europe."
© Lanoë Group"As far as purple garlic is concerned, we've had a line of peeled garlic for 4 years now, marketed in France and Germany under our brand Triomphe."
Peeled garlic, which is mostly aimed at the industrial and/or hotel segments, is gaining a lot of ground in Spain and France. "We sell it in one-kilo formats and, given the increase in demand, we want to launch a new smaller format for supermarkets soon."
Regarding onions, the season has been marked by the usual volatility of Europe's interconnected markets. "Between April and June, Spain was practically the only country with onions available, which caused prices to soar; but when the French and Dutch harvests arrived earlier this year, the abundance caused a sharp drop. As for asparagus, which we sell from February to June, the situation has been different because the harvest in Spain has been quite good and our clients in France and the Netherlands have been receiving a product with very good sizes and quality. As far as green asparagus is concerned, we want to continue expanding northwards and developing new channels in Scandinavia," says Yohan.
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French potatoes: the newest product for Lanoë Group
Potatoes are another example of how the situation of the production of one country can have an impact on the whole of Europe. This year, France is dealing with strong overproduction and some difficulties in sales, and this has led a grower from Normandy to ask Lanoë Group for help to develop their sales in Spain and southern Europe. "This trust placed in us has been very significant, and the response we are seeing from our customers is very positive. Spain has traditionally been a key market for French potatoes, and national customers have appreciated the expansion of our range."
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Working with new products always opens up growth opportunities and access to new markets. The Lanoë Group has achieved just that with Conference pears in Morocco. "We have been working for several years with producers of Conference pears from Belgium, and this fruit has been gaining more and more ground in the Moroccan market, to the point that we have developed a brand specifically for our clients in Morocco: Mufadal. We sell it in 7kg formats."
"At the beginning, russeting, a natural defect of the Conference variety, was an obstacle to selling pears in Morocco, but trends have changed, and Morocco is increasingly demanding more Conference pears. In fact, sales are so strong that there are now direct shipments from Belgium to Morocco, without passing through traditional markets in Spain."
© Lanoë GroupThe Conference pear harvest is in full swing, and this season is expected to be more normal in terms of quantity and quality than those of the last two years.
"Lanoë Group, which was founded four years ago in Andalusia with the idea of bringing production and marketing closer together, has succeeded in its objective thanks to its knowledge about the product and the market, as well as its transparency and service," says Yohan. The company will be participating for the fourth time in Fruit Attraction, and anyone interested can find them at stand 10A09.
© Lanoë GroupFor more information:
Lanoë Group
Tel.: +34 95 309 33 23
[email protected]
https://lanoegroup.com
