After wrapping up the imported Spanish persimmon season earlier than usual, importers are turning to the Southern Hemisphere for supplies.
Krops Imports brings in Rojo Brilliante persimmons, which are grown in the Ribera del Xúquer region of Valencia, Spain, from late October until the beginning of January. “These are the most popular in Canada and the biggest seller—they have the best color and taste,” says Amanda Borsellino of the Montreal, Que.-based company.
This year however, a freeze and rains in Valencia caused an approximate 30-40 percent shortage in the crop. “So we had to cut the season short in January and instead of getting them at the end of October, we got them in the middle of November,” says Borsellino.
In-house advantage
While generally the season ends in January for importing these persimmons, Krops has a unique in-house technology that extends the fruit’s shelf life for up to a month, allowing Krops to store fruit until February and possibly even early March.
“We’re the only ones in North America that are granted permission to use this technology so we gas the fruit here in Quebec to remove the astringency,” she says. Rojo Brilliante aren’t fruit to eat right off the tree—they need a bit of wait time until they soften. “And usually they gas the fruit in a chamber in Spain. We’ve made this chamber here. It takes about three days and it makes the fruit less scarred, expands the shelf life to about a month and both the appearance and taste are better,” she adds.
Pick up in interest
Between that and Krops’ efforts to educate consumers about persimmons, Borsellino notes she’s seen a steady increase in demand for the past five years in persimmons consumers. “When we first started this program, it was generally older Europeans or the Asian community who recognized this fruit,” she says. “Now with all of the information we’ve produced and promoted, we have a whole new demographic recognizing this fruit.”
Not surprisingly, given the strong demand and the short crop, prices were up slightly on Spanish persimmons this season. “And now we’re moving into the Southern Hemisphere for supply and their pricing is significantly higher on Fuyus and Sharon fruit,” says Borsellino, noting she’s looking to import from South Africa, Brazil and Chile. “The volume won’t be the same because the prices are so much higher. They generally have less volume but we’re committed to having a good product and supply all year.”
For more information:
Amanda Borsellino
Krops Imports
Tel: +1 (514) 525-6464,3349
[email protected]
