Too few products on the market
“Trade is good, we cannot complain. The weather has been very good up till now, fairly dry, beautiful ‘market weather,’ perfect days to work on the market. We are currently headed towards mid-October, and we notice seasons have stopped and that we are headed towards new products, which are not yet fully present. It creates less atmosphere on the market, because too few products are present. For example, Clementines have not really started yet. We can see them, but in small volumes. The kaki fruit season has also started again. The Italian grape season is reaching its end, and plums have also finished.” Geens continues: “Hardly anything is ‘hot’ at the moment, except that we are fully active in chestnuts and fresh nuts now. Harvests of those are also smaller than expected, both have half a harvest, compared to regular years. These products will also be finished sooner than normally.”
Less knowledge
What do consumers notice about the fact that the climate is ‘messing up’ the seasons? Almost everything appears to be available in supermarkets. “We as importers talk to suppliers and cultivators, we know the situation. Buyers of wholesalers have — with all due respect — much less knowledge than we as traders. It is therefore difficult for them to transfer that knowledge to final consumers. They try to supply everything year-round. Yet we see prices at wholesalers slightly higher than in previous years.”
Florida Grapefruit
Jonckheere always supplies Florida Grapefruit during the winter period. “We are going to start two weeks later than usual. Hurricane Matthew did a lot of damage, and in previous months they had trouble because of the bad weather circumstances as well. They expect approximately 10 to 15 per cent less harvest this season. Normally, the first volumes start arriving at the start of November, but now that will be mid-November.”
For more information:
Cedric Geens
W. Jonckheere SPRL
Werkhuizenkaai 112
1000 Brussels - Belgium
Tel: +32 - 22426103
Fax: +32 - 22451079