Lebanese fruit exports have continued to improve since 2021, despite a difficult market configuration. Growers are benefiting from good production conditions and a quality "clearly superior to the competition", but are held back by higher production costs and geopolitical constraints. This forces Lebanese exports to confine themselves to certain geographically close markets, and to target the premium segment. Yet exporters like Freshco Lebanon are sparing no effort to break out of this box.
Georges Jabbour, Manager of Freshco Lebanon said, "Lebanon is blessed with exceptional conditions for many crops, such as grapes and cherries, which translate into better color, size, brix, and taste. The good natural conditions are matched by a considerable human effort in terms of farmer operations and integrated, efficient pest control. However, the market is often driven by prices, especially in the context of inflation."
Jabbour continues, "The exporter continues, "the price parameter can become a serious obstacle to exports, given that our competitors in neighboring countries are mass-producing at lower costs than we are, especially energy costs. We face tough competition from Egypt and Syria for grapes, and from Turkey, Syria, and Iran for cherries."
Lebanese exporters have long coexisted on the market with the competition, relying first and foremost on the quality argument, and leaning on a large diaspora that makes no concessions on Lebanese produce despite prices. Today, Lebanese exporters "want to move up a gear and reach new markets, especially in Europe", says Jabbour.
Gloria Hanna, export manager of Freshco, says, "For a long time, we exported to the Gulf countries, such as the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, and to a lesser extent to the UK and African countries. We recently started to approach new markets due to the difficulties we're encountering in the Gulf, such as competition from Egypt or Turkey, where production costs are lower, or the geopolitical situation, which has deprived us of an important market in Saudi Arabia".
Saudi Arabia's ban on imports from Lebanon in October 2021 has been a major blow for Lebanese fresh produce. In the cherry sector, for example, exports continued to rise from a value of 2 million USD in 2015 to 4.5 million USD in 2021, before falling to 3.9 million USD in 2022. Export volumes of table grapes fell from 80 thousand tonnes to 60 thousand tonnes. Hanna says, "Today, exports are starting to recover after we began targeting other markets such as the UK. We are counting on the European market to benefit fully from the potential of our production. We believe that the quality of Lebanese fruits will be appreciated by European consumers."
Freshco is starting to see the results of its approach to European markets, with the first good results coming from the UK. Hanna says, "In table grapes, we've gone from 600 tons last year to 700 tons this year. Red Globe and Crimson varieties make up 60% of our volumes, and we also export white seedless and local varieties such as Baytamouni. Our grapes have great potential and we're sure they'll succeed in Europe, thanks to their excellent sizes, brix, and color."
"In the sweet cherry sector, we have a production of 250 tonnes in 2023, with local varieties that are well-known in international markets, such as Feraouni, Moukahal, and others. Cherries are a native Lebanese crop, of excellent quality, in both sweet and sour varieties," she adds.
The exporter concludes, "Freshco Lebanon will be meeting European importers at Fruit Attraction, at the Lebanese pavilion in Hall 1, we hope that our participation in Fruit Attraction will be successful and mark the beginning of our penetration into European markets."
For more information:
Gloria Hanna & Georges Jabbour
Freshco Lebanon
Te: +96170925918
[email protected]
www.freshcolebanon.com
