Wilko van der Zwaard and Mehmet of WilkoFruit recently visited Brazil to meet their suppliers and visit their farms. "The country continues to impress with its immense size and enormous diversity," account manager Mehmet reflects. "The rainy season made itself clearly felt; heavy downpours sometimes made driving difficult and left us constantly considering whether to pull over. Nevertheless, growers were not discouraged and managed to produce high-quality products under challenging conditions."
© Wilko Fruit bv
Strong domestic market
"The fruit market in Brazil is very strong. For example, many grape growers keep over 80% of their crop for the domestic market. Supply of grapes to Europe has been limited in recent weeks, and prices have been high, but domestic prices there have been even higher. Moreover, the rainy season often makes exports and the associated risks less attractive than local sales. Lime prices in Europe have also been high. However, we are now seeing a decrease due to an expected increase in supply following earlier delays," Wilko continues.
© Wilko Fruit bv
During the visit, sustainability, quality, and waste reduction were discussed extensively by WilkoFruit and their partners. With changing weather conditions worldwide and increasingly strict European regulations, many partners are increasingly turning to organic cultivation methods. At the same time, careful attention is paid to maintaining quality during long container shipments to Europe, where a well-managed cold chain is essential. "We at WilkoFruit play a key role in this," says Mehmet. "Thanks to our all-under-one-roof approach, we can fully coordinate purchasing, sales, storage, inspection, packaging, and distribution at one location. Even with more challenging products, we can repack and sort them, minimizing waste."
© Wilko Fruit bv
"We are always looking ahead with our suppliers and searching for new varieties and improved products. Examples include a focus on grape varieties such as the red Sweet Celebration, a new, stronger variety that complements the popular Red Globe; ARRA 15, a seedless white grape that can withstand heavy rainfall in Brazil; and the Osteen mango, which thrives in Brazil's tropical climate. Innovations like these help us provide customers with better and more consistent quality fruit," says Wilko.
© Wilko Fruit bv
Personal impressions
"It remains impressive to see how farmers here take such care of their crops, even during the rainy season. We will take that respect and passion back to the Netherlands," says account manager Mehmet. "The visit not only provided insight into the challenges and opportunities of Brazilian agriculture, but also strengthened cooperation between WilkoFruit and its partners on the ground."
For more information:
Wilko Fruit
Tel: +31 (0) 76 524 44 55
[email protected]
www.wilkofruit.com
