Just like Northern Europe, demand in Poland also increases during the winter season. According to Maciej Dobrowolski from Fresh World, "It has always been this way, consumption slows down drastically during the summer and picks up again in September, continuing on through to March/April, depending on the weather. Last April was colder than usual, which meant that ginger demand continued longer than usual."
Maciej also said that as the demand has increased over the past few years, so has the demand for higher quality. He said that price used to be the determining factor in Poland, but he has seen a shift in this way of thinking.
"A lot of companies ventured into ginger withouthaving proper knowledge. The main quality issues that ginger suppliers need to watch out for ismold. Mold is something that is even present in good quality ginger shipments, but it is possible to treat the ginger, but you have to know how to do it properly. Often the quality can go from bad to worse when they try to handle it in the wrong way, which is not only a problem for the company, but also the client. The supermarkets are alsovery aware of what they are ordering and what they want to have on their shelves, so it is impossible to try to get away with bad quality like some did in the past." stressed Maciej.
Fresh World in Poland was one of the first companies who started selling ginger in Poland.
Market dependent on the Netherlands
The Netherlands has a huge influence on the Polish market. Many thought that the end of the season would bring higher prices, causing many to hold on to supplies, but this just meant that many companies were stuck with bad quality ginger, causing prices to drop.
This primarily only hit the companies dealing in larger quantities and wasn't that much of an issue for the ones who only order a few pallets per month. Ginger became a very speculative product which depends on the Chinese companies.
"There are suppliers in China who are playing around with speculation and who do not disclose the actual amounts which are available so they can manipulate pricing. We are concerned that this could also happen this season as well. There are a lot more risks with the more you order."
Preventing quality losses
The very first ginger shipments from China have started making their way into Europe. What is currently being sent is ginger which has already been air dried, but Fresh World buys both pre and not yet dried.
"Fresh World has the ability to air dry and repackage the ginger according to our customer's requirements. We provide packaging in all quantities, for 100 gram, to 5 kilo or 15kg, this kind of flexibility, together with the fact that we supply the wholesale market for neighboring countries from the Czech Republic, to Russia and the Baltic countries, gives us some advantage. Still, the only way you can succeed in selling ginger, by working with your client's needs, especially because of the risk of having the ginger rot in your warehouse if it is unable to be sold. You need to follow the market, there are rough times when you are going to lose money, so it is important to be ahead of the game." shared Maciej.
Market dependent on the Netherlands
The Netherlands has a huge influence on the Polish market. Many thought that the end of the season would bring higher prices, causing many to hold on to supplies, but this just meant that many companies were stuck with bad quality ginger, causing prices to drop.
This primarily only hit the companies dealing in larger quantities and wasn't that much of an issue for the ones who only order a few pallets per month. Ginger became a very speculative product which depends on the Chinese companies.
"There are suppliers in China who are playing around with speculation and who do not disclose the actual amounts which are available so they can manipulate pricing. We are concerned that this could also happen this season as well. There are a lot more risks with the more you order."
Preventing quality losses
The very first ginger shipments from China have started making their way into Europe. What is currently being sent is ginger which has already been air dried, but Fresh World buys both pre and not yet dried.
"Fresh World has the ability to air dry and repackage the ginger according to our customer's requirements. We provide packaging in all quantities, for 100 gram, to 5 kilo or 15kg, this kind of flexibility, together with the fact that we supply the wholesale market for neighboring countries from the Czech Republic, to Russia and the Baltic countries, gives us some advantage. Still, the only way you can succeed in selling ginger, by working with your client's needs, especially because of the risk of having the ginger rot in your warehouse if it is unable to be sold. You need to follow the market, there are rough times when you are going to lose money, so it is important to be ahead of the game." shared Maciej.
For more information:
Maciej Dobrowolski
Fresh World International Sp. z o.o.
Tel: +48 22 33 76 200
Fax: +48 22 33 76 222
Email: [email protected]
www.freshworld.pl
