Trade isn't going as well for some as it is for others. "It is currently quiet for us. Many of our consumers are still going on last minute holidays," admits a Belgian wholesaler. One of the import countries is France. "We import our apples and stone fruits from there."
According to him, the French segment of stone fruit has been in sharp decline in the last few years. Most of the consumers feel they are too expensive compared with Spain. A few speciality businesses are still interested in the French fruits because they are actively looking for this specific quality." What has had a large affect, according to the wholesaler, is that the quality of Spanish stone fruit is increasingly improving. "There has always been a price difference, but Spain is investing more and more in quality. This is why some would rather have the fruit from Spain, which are offered for half the price."
He indicates that a consequence is that France is looking for other markets. "It appears that a portion goes to Germany, Switzerland and a lot is consumed domestically. However, the number of exporters has decreased over the last few years, so there are fewer traders. Still, I don't expect it to cease altogether. There will always be a market for it."