Butternut squash in 500 kg containers
Besides butternut squash, Nico also imports other types of pumpkin. This year, he has started with the versatile Hokkaido pumpkin, a variant of the Potimarron, of which they planted about 100 tonnes. The 'grey' Crown Prince pumpkin is selling well. "Actually, demand for pumpkins seems to be growing every year," states Nico.
"In France, butternut squash is very popular. We sell the green pumpkins mainly to Chinese customers and the bell type is sold across Europe," explains the Dutch wholesaler based in Rungis, France. Although Egypt now produces pumpkins, Nico believes that they are unable to compete against the South African product in terms of quality.
Kabocha in 15 kg sacks; Hokkaido pupmkin in 10 kg boxes
"We start with good market conditions, as the local production has been finished for about two weeks. While there are still some Portuguese pumpkins on the market, they are not too good anymore. They can be kept in cold storage for a long time, but as soon as you get them out, they burst."
More information:
Nico Schaft
888 Fruit Company
Rungis, France
Tel: +33 145603640
Mob: +33 609814815
[email protected]
