"After a few difficult months, prices on the avocado market have recovered somewhat in recent weeks. The prices were, indeed, dismal and below cost in May and June. Peru, thus, halted export volumes to Europe to make some space on the market again. They're exporting more to the US, Asia, and Chile instead of Europe. We're now getting less from Peru, which you notice right away in the market," says Annabel Könst, avocado buyer at Nature's Pride.
"Reducing the quantities means the old stock is disappearing and shortages in certain sizes. The price is currently scrambling up and moving towards healthier grower prices. So, we're going into the summer with a good balance between supply and demand. All eyes are on the coming weeks, though."
"Some importers are experiencing avocado shortages, but that will be over in about four weeks. Everyone will be scaling back enough with their supplies from the source countries. Then the extra demand that's now in the spot market will vanish again. Therefore, it's important that everyone adjusts their programs well to the demand. Then, together, we can prevent a new surplus in the market," says Annabel.
"Besides Peru, Colombia, too, is diverting sizeable volumes to other markets and limiting the volume they're sending to the Netherlands. Since those volumes to Europe were put on hold because of the prices, Kenya is increasingly sending a few avocadoes our way. And South Africa is sending stable volumes."
Apeel
In 2019, Apeel and Nature's Pride joined forces and introduced avocadoes with longer shelf lives to the European market. "We're committed to reducing food waste in Europe. That's why we treat our EAT ME avocados with Apeel's plant-based protection layer," explains Annabel. "This layer ensures that ready-to-eat avocados retain their correct quality for longer. We want to give consumers more time to enjoy ripe avocados, which helps prevent food waste."
"Apeel makes this plant-based protective layer from natural ingredients: peels, fruit pulp, and seeds. This Apeel layer retains the moisture in the fruit longer and reduces the amount of oxygen the fruit absorbs. This lets the avocado last longer. Since April this year, we managed to make the step to treat more EAT ME avocados with Apeel. So, these avocados are now available in large parts of our European sales market," Annabel concludes.
For more information:
Annabel Könst
Nature's Pride
Tel: +31 (0) 174 219 155
Website: Annabel.Konst@naturespride.nl
Email: www.naturespride.nl