If, in the European winter, you crave a wonderfully ripe mango, you quickly end up with flown-in fruit, says Matthijs Ahsman. He and Sam Gielen founded and own Frutos Tropicales Europe (FTE), a young Dutch company that imports tropical fruit. "The difference is in the flavor. When standard sea freight mangoes are picked, they have a lower sugar content and only ripen later. Air freight mangoes arrive already at full flavor," explains Matthijs.
© FTE
Flown-in mangoes ripen on the tree and are picked at the perfect moment. "Tree-ripened mangoes have a natural sweetness you can never achieve with a ripening chamber. But that quality comes at a price: shoppers can easily pay three to four times more than for sea freight mangoes. Still, once you've tasted an air freight mango, you won't want anything else."
Season peaks around Christmas
You can get exotic fruit year-round, but there is a definite peak during the festive season, especially for luxury products. "Flow-in mangoes do particularly well around Christmas. The extreme seasonal peak of the past has flattened somewhat, and many exotic fruits are now well established and eaten throughout the year," continues Matthijs.
© FTE
FTE has cultivation sites in Peru and Brazil, and is strategically located near the Port of Rotterdam. It, thus, controls the entire chain. Besides Peru and Brazil, the company sources products from various other countries - Chile, Mexico, China, South Africa, and the Ivory Coast, too. The importer leaves fruit of European origin with the retailers, who often purchase it via short chains.
© FTE
More than mangoes
The importer not only flies mangoes into Europe, but it also gets Peruvian figs that way. The new season started in mid-October. FTE deliberately chooses air freight because figs' flavor and shelf life suffer too much when transported by container. In addition to growing its own mangoes, pomegranates, and limes, the company imports a wide range of other tropical fruits. Its client base consists primarily of European retailers, but it also serves wholesalers and foodservice providers across Europe.
© FTE
Air freight and logistics
To meet the festive demand, FTE reserves air cargo capacity at several airlines well in advance. Peruvian mangoes are flown in from Lima and Guayaquil (Ecuador), while in Peru, Piura has its own cultivation and packing facilities and is located close to the Ecuadorian border.
The company's international orientation goes hand in hand with its European growth. Last year, FTE took over the former Del Monte premises in the Netherlands: over 4,500 m², including ripening cells and logistics. "We're going to expand with additional ripening and repackaging facilities on an adjacent lot. And in Peru, we recently acquired a frozen products packing facility. We're also working on new locations in Europe to be closer to our end customers," concludes Matthijs. (PB/PDC)
For more information: 
Frutos Tropicales Europe BV
Klappolder 191
2665 MP Bleiswijk
Tel: +31 (0) 10 30 75 100
[email protected]
www.fteurope.eu
