There is little pineapple available because only a little has been planted in countries like Costa Rica. The reason? The prices paid to producers have been low for several years, out of line with costs, and farmers have grown tired of not making a profit.
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An importer from northern Italy takes stock of the situation. "In a few days there will be a few more arrivals of pineapples; after that, in the following weeks, there will be a further shortage of product, which will worsen the current situation. Now a 12-kg carton costs about €15.5 to €16 in bulk, for a high caliber product. However, weather conditions in the producing countries have not allowed to achieve large-sized pineapples."
The trader says that if pineapple prices, as well as so many other fruits and vegetables, are not adequately remunerative for producers, there will be an increasing risk of running out of goods.
"For as long as I can remember," he concludes, "I do not recall a late May with a similar situation, i.e., lack of product and high prices. Except that last year producers were repaid with derisory prices, so that they planted much less. I stopped working with the large-scale retail sector, but now I work only with specialized markets and stores. We focus on the quality of a product that has a fair compensation. The policy of lower and lower prices is strangling producers and putting the entire supply chain in crisis."