The Chilean, but also the first Indian grapes, have recently arrived at SFI Rotterdam. "The market is searching", says Jan Marc Schulz. "The prices for white grapes have been extremely high in the last two months. So we had to wait and see when India would come to the market with volumes. That is now slowly becoming the case, so prices are expected to come under more pressure."
"Now the prices for Indian grapes are still unprecedentedly good, but the Chilean suppliers have a few additional euros in mind in recent weeks and can therefore sometimes end up disappointed," Jan Marc continues, who then remarks that the food quality of Chile is still the best.
He expects that Chilean shippers will mainly use the month of March to supply Europe with grapes. "Then they will consciously cease. It has been a trend in recent years that if India comes on the market with volumes, Chile will quickly leave the market with Thompson Seedless.
Volumes from South Africa are also declining and from April the market for white grapes will be completely in Indian hands."
Chile is not in the back seat, in the race for new grape varieties, only the results are not as quickly visible as in Peru, for example. "That is purely climatic. Large companies have certainly cleared old varieties to plant new ones, but the result is not immediately visible the following year."
The retail is in any case in the starting blocks to conduct promotions with grapes. "Everyone waited a long time for that because white grapes in particular were so expensive. Now there is more supply on the market and the overall price level will be pushed down by those promotions", concludes Jan Marc.
For more information:
SFI Rotterdam
Jan Marc Schulz
Marconistraat 31
3029 AG Rotterdam
The Netherlands
jmschulz@sfifruit.com
www.sfifruit.com