Even as a teenager, Roy Zylka, managing director of Roy's Naturkost at the wholesale market in Nuremberg, worked in the organic fruit and vegetable sector. For more than 27 years, Zylka has been active as an organic wholesaler in Nuremberg. In the wholesale market sector, his business is also unique in a way, as the company only offers organic fruits and vegetables. On site, we spoke with Zylka about the year and his organic lemons.
Roy Zylka
Increasing demand and sales since mid/late August
Like many other organic retailers and growers, Zylka faced losses of 20 to 30 percent compared to the 2020-2021 pandemic years. Since mid/late August, however, he said he could again enjoy rising demand and corresponding sales. "Quality goods and favorable prices speak for themselves. Our lemons, of Spanish origin, are bulk goods, unpackaged. Both retailers and consumers have been very satisfied with the lemons so far," Zylka said.
His customers include upscale restaurants, market stalls, health food and grocery retailers. Big customers, he said, also include box companies that deliver the products to end consumers. Processors are also among the company's customer base. Zylka uses its own vehicles to supply its customers within a radius of 200 km, although some of the goods are delivered directly to customers as well, via a freight forwarder.
Little interest in special lemon varieties
Depending on the season, Roy's Naturkost will offer the appropriate varieties. "Certainly, we would also like to have finger lemons and more special varieties on offer at some point, but sales of these varieties are rather low, which is why we include them in our range less frequently." The lemons are offered in calibers 2-5 and are being offered year-round.
"We have pallets of lemons available daily. Processors sometimes take 10 tons, which of course creates a different relationship than the one with most customers who buy the goods here directly from the stand," Zylka says. The products come from producers in Germany, Italy, Spain, but some are even shipped in from East Africa and Thailand.
For more than 10 years, Zylka's organic farm has relied on green electricity. He has not yet experienced any increases in energy prices, but he has witnessed increases in diesel costs. "However, everything is still within a range we can handle. Prices have not yet risen as dramatically as we are often hearing in the media."
Two employees from Roy's Naturkost
More information:
Roy Zylka 
Roy's Naturkost
Großhandel Obst und Gemüse
Großmarkt Nürnberg
Leyher Straße 107
90431 Nürnberg
Tel.: +49 (0) 911 / 50 71 07-0
Fax: +49 (0) 911 / 50 71 07-20
E-Mail: info@roys-naturkost.de
https://roys-naturkost.de