The Costa Rican group Hispacori currently exports pineapples with and without the crown, as there are markets that demand both modalities. To Germany, for example, fresh crownless pineapple shipments are made on a weekly basis, and Russia has occasionally requested full containers of these; something that had never happened before. Crownless pineapples are mostly demanded for use in the processing industry or restaurants.
In terms of presentation, Hispacori ships the same 12 kilo box, although when used with crownless pineapples, it weighs about 2 kilos more, as it contains more fruit. "For example, with a calibre 8, instead of 8 pieces the box can contain 10. The same calibre format is used with the crownless modality simply to avoid confusion and complaints, as our company often exports combined containers with both modalities," explains Sonia Alvarado, of Hispacori.
Sonia explains that at certain times of the year, large orders of crownless pineapples are made, although these still represent a small percentage of the total export volume; approximately 10%. "In supermarkets, for example, the crown does not provide any incentive besides aesthetics, as it is pure waste, and in regard to costs, crownless pineapples are much more profitable for the customer, since freight costs are lower."
On the other hand, production costs are higher because, while normal pineapples undergo a cleaning, disinfecting and polishing process, after which they are packed directly, crownless pineapple require a very precise manual cutting of the crown, which results in higher operating costs. "In any case, this additional cost is lower in Costa Rica than in the target markets," affirms Sonia.
In terms of aesthetics, normal pineapples are required to have a straight crown with healthy leaves. According to Sonia, "the crownless does not have this problem and therefore the number of discards is much lower, but it is important for the process to be carried out correctly, with a good cleaning and sealing, because if the treatment is inadequate, the fruit may have quality problems at its destination."
Regarding the future, prospects are good. "We hope that the popularity of crownless pineapples continues to grow, as we see that they are gradually attracting more and more customers. We would like to start programs with customers who have already purchased full containers; a fact which in itself already indicates that consumption is increasing," concludes Sonia.
For more information:
Sonia Alvarado
Grupo Hispacori
[email protected]
+506 2283 4340
www.hispacori.com
www.facebook.com/Hispacori
Sonia Alvarado
Grupo Hispacori
[email protected]
+506 2283 4340
www.hispacori.com
www.facebook.com/Hispacori
