Peruvian grapes are currently leading the way in Van Dijk Foods' assortment. "Italy is finishing a bit earlier this season. There is still some supply on the market, but the quality is no longer top-notch. Normally, we continue with that until the end of December, but that will not work this year. That is precisely why the Peruvian grapes are running like clockwork," says Henk Vlaeminck of the Flemish importer.
© Henk Vlaeminck
"Besides Peru, and partly Italy, there are also small volumes from Brazil, but we are mainly focusing on Autumncrisp from Peru. It is a very nice variety with thick, crunchy grapes. A bit more expensive, but they sell well," he explains. "It had to warm up a bit, by the way. In Peru, they decided to send volumes fairly early, but in the beginning, this did not go particularly well, because the Italian grapes were still on the market. Only after that quality dropped sharply in recent weeks did the market for Peruvian grapes pick up. As a result, supply and demand are now reasonably balanced. There is enough supply, and sales are keeping up just fine."
As a result, prices are also holding up reasonably well, says Henk. "We might even see a slight increase towards the holidays. There is a bit less coming in before the end of December, while that is traditionally the period when demand for grapes rises. Then I do foresee a possible increase, although, of course, I do not have a crystal ball. We will have to wait and see, but I see things looking reasonably positive until mid-January. Demand has been fairly stable in recent years anyway. These Autumncrisp grapes are very well known for their taste, and people come back for them. As soon as they are available, demand rises compared with other European varieties."
Spanish clementines in demand for Sinterklaas
Apart from grapes, clementines are also busy at the importer in the run-up to Sinterklaas. "The week of Sinterklaas is traditionally a busy week. Consumption increases, and children are given clementines more often. All supermarkets currently have clementines in their leaflets, which ultimately benefits us. However, volumes of Spanish Clemenules were somewhat disappointing in percentage terms this year. It means they are not cheap at the moment, but they are selling well. Moreover, specialities such as passion fruit always perform well towards the holidays too. The same goes for lemons and other regularly traded products."
For more information:
Henk Vlaeminck
Van Dijk Foods
Kempenarestraat 50
2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Tel: +32 15 55 65 61
[email protected]
www.vandijkfoods.be
