In recent months, high demand for pomegranate seeds has been met with a rather tight supply of raw materials. "In Turkey in particular, raw materials are extremely expensive compared to previous years. Our partners in the respective countries of origin are facing limited availability this year, although we secured our required quantities very early on. The procurement situation is changing in the sense that alternative countries of origin are becoming interesting," summarizes Hüseyin Can Olgun, Managing Director of FrischFrucht GmbH, a subsidiary of the Frutal Group. The Turkish season is expected to end in March.
© FrischFrucht GmbH
In addition to Turkey, the required raw materials are sourced seasonally from a wide variety of countries such as Peru, South Africa, and Argentina. The main cost drivers are electricity, logistics, and water.
Five years of pomegranate processing
For exactly five years, up to ten tons of pomegranates have been processed every day at the company's own production facility at the local wholesale market in Hamburg. According to Olgun, FrischFrucht GmbH's ready-to-eat, small-portion seeds are enjoying increasing popularity on the German market. "Demand from our food retail customers remains high and continues to rise. As in many other product areas, inflation is also affecting the pomegranate market. Nevertheless, supply and demand dynamics are of greater importance here and have a corresponding effect on prices."
© FrischFrucht GmbH
The pomegranate seeds are marketed under the proven brand name 'Ruby Pearls', among others.
Demand-driven production increase
As in previous years, sales have been particularly high in the winter months so far. "We have also been working in several shifts here to meet the high demand," says Olgun, pointing to the increasing importance of pomegranates as a year-round product. "Although we are slowly heading into the off-season, we also expect good sales in the coming two quarters. This is because the product has now found its place in food retail and demand is high and stable throughout the year."
© FrischFrucht GmbH
Expanding the market position
Pomegranate seeds have now also found favor outside Germany. "Our customers include food retail chains throughout Europe. We specialize in small, ready-to-eat packages (80 and 150 grams) for snacking. The cornerstones of our corporate vision are good product shelf life and a certain degree of flexibility, which is why we can always respond quickly and agilely to customer inquiries. We have invested heavily in development and optimization in recent years, so that we now have a state-of-the-art pomegranate de-seeding plant. In this respect, we are well equipped to further expand our position in the coming years," he concludes.
For more information:
Hüseyin Can Olgun
FrischFrucht GmbH
Hamburg Wholesale Market
Tel: +49 (0) 41056 920513
[email protected]
www.granatapfelkerne.de
