Citrus fruits were among the most sought-after items in the crisis-dominated months of April and May. However, lemons and oranges are still very much in demand, says the management of Hamburg company SE-SA Obst + Gemüse Großhandel. There are even signs of a small supply shortfall.
Limes: Low demand in the catering trade
Limes are normally a summertime bestseller in the range of products offered by the wholesaler. However, the fruits from Mexico and Brazil are currently finding their way into the catering trade with difficulty. "Compared to the normal situation, the number of inquiries has decreased significantly. Of course this is still connected to the Corona crisis, because the catering trade has completely disappeared and even now - shortly after reopening - sales are still far from normal. This is particularly affecting the customers of limes, such as cocktail and lounge bars."
Lemons currently come from Argentina or the Italian region of Amalfi. The latter are offered all year round at the wholesale market stand of SE-SA Obst + Gemüse Großhandel and are twice as expensive as the Argentinean batches because of their high quality.
Lemons & Oranges: Demand remains high
For lemons and oranges, on the other hand, the crisis has led to higher sales. "We are constantly short of lemons to serve everyone. In the case of oranges, we have now switched completely from Egypt to South Africa and trade mainly Valencia juice oranges. In this segment, too, demand is sometimes too high compared to the available volume." In terms of price, oranges are now at 17-18 euros/box, a fairly normal quotation at this time of year."
Unusual herb varieties such as Thai basil or garlic-chives from Israel are available all year round from SE-SA Obst + Gemüse Großhandel. The demand increases from year to year.
Kräuter & Kurkuma: Pleasing market situation
The company's seasonal range is rounded off with some interesting niches, such as Israeli herbs, ginger from China, Peru or Brazil and organic turmeric. "The herb market was catastrophic between March and mid-May due to the loss of the gastronomy industry. Since then, however, demand has slowly picked up again, which is why we are currently at about 80% of normal sales again."
After all, the company has also been relying on the exotic root vegetable, turmeric, for two years. "Since last week, we have been delivering new organic products. When we first added turmeric to our range, there was hardly any demand for it, but now we sell 40 to 60 boxes a week. This shows us that the product has been well received."
For more information:
SE-SA Obst & Gemüse Großhandel
Sedat Bayburt
Banksstraße 28 | Stand H 309
20097 Hamburg
+49 40 58 96 56 56
Web: www.sesa.hamburg