"I started selling 30% Italian cherries and 70% Spanish (from the Valle del Jerte) to clients all over Europe," states Vittoria, "and in recent years this trend has changed completely." This Italian marketer finds it difficult to offer competitive prices to Dutch, German, etc. destinations. "Due to the price and inflexibility of Spanish producers," adds Vittoria, who also laments that "they prefer to throw the fruit away to selling it at cheaper prices." According to Vittoria, "a lot of fruit is left for the end and, when the markets become saturated, they are already losing money and refuse to sell." That is why, according to Vittoria, "Spanish producers are unable to sell in programs for supermarket chains from other countries. They are asking for between 7 and 8 Euro per kilo, and with those prices, it is impossible."
Emerging countries, such as Pakistan or India, are offering "much more competitive prices for these kinds of products, and with a similar quality to other origins," says Vittoria. In fact, countries like the UK, which have started growing their own greenhouse cherries, "have also been resorting to Pakistani cherries to cover their market's needs," assures Vittoria.
In any case, "transportation can also make the operations more difficult, since it is becoming more complicated to make groupings," laments Vittoria, who assures that, as a result, "many opportunities are lost." Destinations which, at given times, may not want to buy a truck full of a certain product, "currently prefer to buy the goods in the Netherlands, for example, because it makes things much easier."
For more information:
Valerio Vittoria