"The holidays generally went well for exotics," says Ive Lambert of ADW Fresh Trade. "There were some logistical hiccups here and there, but that is to be expected during this period. All in all, everything went fairly normally and smoothly. Demand this year was certainly not disappointing either; we cannot complain at all. The cold and poor weather helped, as more people went to supermarkets instead of outdoor markets."
© Jannick Flach | FreshPlaza.com
However, snowfall during the first week of January did create additional challenges for the Flemish importer, with Starfruit and Central Fruit operating under the name ADW Fresh Trade since 1 October. "At the moment, the situation is difficult. Because of the winter weather, there is a lot of disruption. Flights have been cancelled on a large scale, terminals have been temporarily closed, and trucks are struggling to get through. This puts pressure on supply and makes it harder to receive everything on schedule."
Complex avocado market
"Looking specifically at avocados, the situation is complex," Ive continued. "In both Spain and Morocco, poor weather has affected production and exports. As a result, availability is limited, and prices remain firm. While there was a clear price dip last year, we are actually seeing an upward trend this year. That varies from season to season. At the same time, more and more shipments are moving by sea, but it is expected to take another two to three weeks before the market settles and supply becomes more stable. It also remains to be seen how weather conditions develop in Spain and Morocco, as persistent rainfall could cause further delays."
On the demand side, the trader sees little cause for concern. "Demand is normal for this time of year and remains steady. The biggest bottleneck at the moment is not sales, but logistics. Arrivals are chaotic, making planning and deliveries difficult. Over the past two weeks, several vessels have arrived with delays of one week or even up to 10 days, which disrupts the entire chain."
© ADW Fresh Trade
Weather must improve
"These problems are not limited to one product group. Shipments of passion fruit from Colombia also went badly wrong at the end of December. Containers that were meant to arrive in the last week of December only reached us in the first week of January. This not only causes operational frustration but also affects product quality. With products such as passion fruit, the damage is usually limited, as they are transported in long-life packaging. With other, more fragile products, additional transport days do have an impact on shelf life and quality."
As a result, logistics in particular are set to make for a messy start to 2026 for ADW Fresh Trade. "Sales remain stable and are not a major issue, but getting products in on time and supplying customers currently requires a great deal of extra attention. This situation is expected to continue in the coming period, until weather conditions improve and logistics flows normalise."
For more information:
ADW Fresh Trade
Hoveniersstraat 13
2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 242 62 00
[email protected]
www.groupadw.be/adw-fresh-trade/
